The Twelfth Man 2018

35 as a player way back in the mid 1960’s when no other than Dickie Bird was the coach. It’s good to see it’s still going strong. Ralph is keen and has a unique self-styled bowling action who as a leg break spin bowler gets lots of bounce and turn, that will make life very difficult for the best of batsmen. Eric Sykes Award Net Three coached by Richard Skipworth This year’s winner of the Eric Sykes Award is Reece Woodhead. This young man is an exceptionally talented young cricketer. He has a very natural and rhythmical bowling action, with a natural drift in towards a right- handed batsman. He is a very keen student of the game and we have worked hard on developing a variety of deliveries. His batting really improved during the winter and he has added power to his game. He has built on a good defence and now has an array of shots that can find the boundary on both sides of the wicket. He has been an absolute pleasure to coach and his friendly, yet fiercely competitive nature will stand him in good stead in the years to come. The Runner Up is Owen Sargison. Owen is an all-rounder whose game has improved steadily each winter that he has attended the nets. He has a good solid defence and has begun to drive the ball with power and precision. He is very aware of his own game and often identified the areas that we needed to concentrate on. Indeed, we have worked hard through the sessions on his square cuts and have begun to see the rewards. His bowling is improved and he has a wonderful wrist position that allows him some significant lateral movement. Harold Bird Award Net Four coached by Richard Skipworth This year’s winner of the Harold Bird award is Luke Woodhead. Luke has developed a solid technique and has now added power to his game. He has a diminutive style and likes to hit the ball hard through the off side. His picks up quickly on line and length and his shot selection is good. I was impressed this winter by his willingness to leave a ball and show signs of building an innings. His off-spin bowling is consistent. Not a big turner of the ball, but he is accurate and we have worked hard on variations of flight and pace. Another keen student, with a desire to work hard and improve; I am sure that he will have a great summer! This year’s runner-up of the Harold Bird award is Callum Skipworth. Callum is an all-rounder with strong potential. His batting has improved through constant focus on shot selection and balance. He has a good array of off-side shots and his signature shot is an excellent square drive and has a desire to learn and works hard at his game. He has a tall, solid bowling action with natural away drift from the right hander. We have worked hard on the mechanics of his action and his release position. He loves his cricket and will mature into a very good league cricketer if he continues to work hard at his game. John Arlott Award Net Five coached by Brian Marsh The winner of the John Arlott award is Kade Fletcher. Kade has been around the Society nets for years and has probably won every award there is to win and as he has got older and stronger he has progressed in all aspects of the game. He is a medium quick bowler with a stock ball swinging in to right hand batsman. His batting has greatly improved this year having all the range of shots, front and back foot and an excellent front and back foot defence making him an all-rounder to watch for in the future. The Runner Up is James G Taylor. This year I had 10 students in net five half from last year and half from net four, a good group of youngsters who gave their best with bat and ball. I would like to thank them for their efforts. James impressed me though the weeks and he has the skill to get in line when facing fast bowling and looking more confident week by week. As a spin bowler, he consistently bowls a good line and length therefore making batsmen make mistakes. He is a pleasant young man, easy to talk to and eager to learn.