Wiltshire Emerging Player Programme for 2021-2022 commences
Wiltshire Cricket's Emerging Player Programme, delivered in association with our talent pathway partners at Gloucestershire Cricket, commences this November with a fresh cohort of players initially selected for this year's programme.
What is the Emerging Player Programme
The EPP exists to provide individualised programmes of support (coaching, conditioning, nutritional advice, etc.) to a small number of players in each county. Its aims are to augment the County Age-Group playing programme which all counties deliver, to provide young players of high potential with crucial early development to develop the core foundations of future performance, to provide a longitudinal opportunity for the assessment of future potential, and to inform selection and create better transitions into the 18 First Class County Academy programmes.
In Wiltshire, our programme is open to players aged between 13 and 17 and for 2021-2022 the programme will be managed for the first time by Wiltshire Cricket's newly appointed Head of Talent Pathway, Tom Morton.
Crucially, supporting the programme again in 2021-2022 will be coaches from within Gloucestershire County Cricket Club's Performance Department, as we look to provide those opportunites for transition in to the First Class county academy structure where appopriate. Additionally from Wiltshire Cricket's end we will have the invaluable coaching of EPP coach Dale Bowler, as well as support from other pathway coaches and analysts.
What does this year's programme look like?
Initially, through consultation with previous EPP coaches, Gloucestershire coaches and other pathway coaches, a group of players have been selected to form the core EPP group. This side of Christmas these players will attend weekly sessions in Wiltshire and will have the opportunity to attend top up sessions on a second evening if they are not receiving additional coaching elswhere, for example through their school. Within these sessions, all players will receive individualised coaching and will also have access to a specialist Strength and Conditioning programme, as well as access to triage physio support as required.
After Christmas, all players' initial commitment to the programme will be reviewed ahead of the programme continuing on a weekly basis, complemented by the county age group programmes that will also begin at this time. Wiltshire Cricket will be expecting all EPP players to have shown the required physical and behavioural characteritics pre Christmas in order to continue on the programme in January.
Top up EPP sessions pre Christmas
As mentioned above, there will be top up EPP sessions run pre Christmas. As well as being available to all EPP players these will also double up as opportunities for players from just outside of the EPP group to attend and receive specialist skillset coaching from Wiltshire's EPP coaches.
The focus of these sessions will alternate between a batting focus and a bowling focus and will provide a great opportunity for a wider group of players to enhance their development this winter. It will also provide the flexibility for these players to stake their claim for potential EPP selection in the future.
Also within these sessions we will see the S and C programme take place for all attendees. This will be led by Gloucestershire S and C coach, Jon Vickers, and will include a 30 minute speed session for the whole group followed by individual support in the Gym for EPP players.
Initial EPP Players
The players initially selected for the programme are listed below. These players will commence their sessions in early November and will also attend an athletic profiling session to help benchmark their fitness competency; something that will be used as an important indicator of each player's ongoing commitment to the standards expected of players on the programme:
- Sam Ashman
- Rhys Baker
- Kit Blomfield
- Charlie Carroll
- Matt Falconer
- Fin Hobson
- Jacob Hobson
- Ben Howgrave-Graham
- Crofton Keyes
- Cam Oliver
- Jonny Sadler
