The Twelfth Man 2013

20 T HANKS TO WCLS C OACHING T EAM Hi Beryl Please accept my most sincere apologies for not getting this information to you earlier. I hope it does not jeopardize the possibility of Ethan attending the Cricket Lovers’ nets. I know he loved every minute last year and the award he received seemed to kick start a new level of confidence in him and his abilities and has since represented Sheffield and District at his age group and also gone onto representative honours with his other sports (Ice Hockey, Hockey and Rugby). I genuinely believe this was down to the enjoyment, encouragement and faith shown in him by the coaches at the nets last year. Please pass on my warmest regards to them when you can. Many thanks Joe Hardy, Balby, Doncaster WCLS C OACHING D AY AT H EADINGLEY C ARNEGIE When Richard Damms, Yorkshire CCC’s Development Manager and an old friend of the Society, visited on 24 January as part of the traditional Young Yorkshire Evening, mention was made of arranging a day out at Headingley Carnegie Stadium by the coaching group, youngsters and parents, where a coaching session in the YCCC Indoor Cricket Centre could be combined with a subsequent tour of Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground. John and Beryl Ambler took up the idea and worked with Yorkshire CCC to arrange for the event to take place on Sunday 14 April. We were fortunate that the majority of the boys and girls who had taken part in the regular coaching sessions at Bawtry Road from January onwards were able to attend and an hour’s session started at 10:30 under the supervision of regular WCLS coaches John Ambler, Brian Marsh, Darren Crossland, Rob Hulley and Brian Workman. An hour quickly passed at the end of which a presentation took place of the Dickie Bird Trophy by Yorkshire CCC Director of Development, Ian Dews, to Eva Dowkes, a beginner who had attended the WCLS coaching for the first time this year and had made excellent progress during the course of the sessions. Eva was also the very first female trophy winner in the history of WCLS coaching. Congratulations! Sam Hinchliffe, the Cricket Centre Operations Manager, then led the group across St Michael’s Lane into the Stadium itself, the first stop being the Yorkshire Cricket Museum, where we were also joined by WCLS and Yorkshire Cricket Archives Committee member Brian Sanderson, who answered questions and offered additional information on all the exhibits. From there the tour continued via the East Stand YCCC Members’ Long Room to the Headingley Carnegie Pavilion, where Sam showed the group into the visitors’ changing room, the Hawke Suite and the Auditorium and gave great insights into what happens within the building and the daily routines of the players on match days. The youngsters took a full part, showing great interest, asking and answering questions and before anyone knew, three very enjoyable and informative hours had flown by. The trip to Headingley Carnegie was a resounding success and it will hopefully stimulate the youngsters and parents to visit the Stadium to watch cricket there more regularly. WCLS would like to formally thank John and Beryl Ambler, Richard Damms, Brian Sanderson and Sam Hinchliffe for all their efforts to make this such a successful and memorable occasion. Brian Workman What a pity Eva, whose award would have been presented by our President Dickie Bird was on holiday for the presentation night as history would have been repeated as her dad, Nigel, was presented with a junior coaching award in 1983, again by Dickie. She finally received her award when we visited the indoor nets at Headingley from Ian Dews, coach to the Yorkshire CCC Academy.