Leicestershire Corporate Brochure 2012

LEICESTERSHIRE

LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2012

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Contents

CONTENTS

5 Welcome from Chief Executive Mike Siddall 6 Our History 9 Welcome from Captain Matthew Hoggard 10 Nathan Buck: In at the deep end 13 Matchday hospitality 15 2012 membership 17 Foxes’ news 18 Suites at Grace Road 21 Foxes’ news 22 And the winners are… 2011 Presentation Night 24 Foxes Gold: Les Taylor 27 Matchball sponsorship 28 Overseas aid: Ramnaresh Sarwan 30 The big picture 32 Inning of my Life: Ben Smith 35 Captain’s Club 36 Company Partner Days 37 The Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket Board 39 Club Patron 40 New season, new challenge: Ned Eckersley 43 Player Sponsorship 44 The Perfect Meeting Place 47 Foxes’ News 48 County round-up 51 Indoor School 52 Advertising Opportunities 54 Foxes Gold: Ken Higgs 57 Contact Us; How To Find Us 58 2012 Fixtures

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EDITORIAL Kent and Sussex Sport, Daniel Nice.

PHOTOGRAPHY Ed Melia, Getty Images design Afinis Pinnacle Group Newhaven Enterprise Centre, Denton Island, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 9BA T: 08707 707 765 E: info@pinnacle.uk.com www.pinnacle.uk.com Leicestershire CCC and Pinnacle wish to thank the businesses who appear in this publication for their support and wish them every success in deriving business from its circulation.The contents of this book are believed to be correct at the time of printing, nevertheless, we cannot endorse and readers should not rely solely upon the accuracy of any statements or claims contained herein without prior consultation with the service provider.

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WELCOME

Welcome to Grace Road

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or some time now, Leicestershire County Cricket Club has tried to place itself as an “all year round” Club.

We want to attract as many people to watch our matches as possible but we also encourage the use of our top-class facilities for conferences and events at our picturesque sporting venue.

Grace Road offers so much both *as a county cricket ground and an events venue. The Charles Palmer Suite is used as a restaurant for players, committee and supporters on matchdays and is also the ideal place to host a meeting or a dinner. The adjoining Fox Bar is the ideal place for a pre-event drink before hosting your event in the Charles Palmer Suite.

Along with the hospitality boxes in the Mike Turner Cricket Centre, the Fernie, Cottesmore and the David Gower Suites are spacious, private meeting rooms. With an LE2 location near to the city centre, ample parking and reasonable rates, we want you to choose Grace Road as your event venue.

We want cricketers of all ages to make full use of our excellent indoor nets in the Mike Turner Cricket Centre, and also make use of the other facilities the ground has to offer. Why not enjoy luncheon on a matchday in the Charles Palmer Suite and also consider holding your next celebration or corporate event there too?

We feel that Grace Road is a unique location for that special event and would encourage you to come and have a look around and see what we have to offer. This brochure outlines the many opportunities for you to experience here. So, if it’s a day at the cricket, a venue for that special occasion or as a place to hold that important meeting we’re certain that Grace Road is the right choice.

Best wishes Mike Siddall Chief Executive

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race Road is one of the most wellknown and best appointed of firstclass cricket venues in England and the setting for some memorable games over the years.

Home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Grace Road has witnessed the county side winning the County Championship and staged some memorable evenings during our 2011 Twenty20 Cup success.

As well as great occasions on the pitch, one of the East Midlands’ most iconic sporting arenas has so much more to offer all year round.

Grace Road is proud of its growing reputation as a venue for an extensive range of corporate and private functions.

Whatever your objectives, Leicestershire has something to offer your business, organisation or family.

Whether you are looking for a unique vehicle to raise the profile of your business or simply a relaxed and informal surrounding in which to entertain, Grace Road has it all.

As well as a wide selection of facilities which can cater for anything from 10 to 200 people, we pride ourselves in offering a high standard of customer service and have the advantage of 250 secure car parking spaces at a location just one mile from Leicester city centre and its links to the Midlands and the rest of the UK.

We can host for you and your party: Hospitality days Company parties Corporate events Fashion shows Product launches Wedding receptions and civil ceremonies Birthdays and anniversaries Christenings

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HISTORY

Great history, wonderful future L

eicestershire may not have the same profile as Test Match counties and they are not regarded by cricket romantics in the same way as perhaps a Sussex or Somerset.

But they have a track record of success on the pitch, particularly in the last 40 years or so, which puts some of their supposedly bigger rivals to shame.

That record of success continued on a memorable night at Edgbaston last August as the Foxes confounded the cricket world when they defeated hot favourites Somerset to win the Twenty20 Cup for the third time since its inception in 2003.

It gave Matthew Hoggard’s men the opportunity to represent England in the Champions League in India in October – a fantastic experience against the best T20 teams in the world for the captain and his young team and a marvelous way for Paul Nixon to bow out after a career which spanned 23 years, 21 of them at Grace Road.

Hoggard has proved an inspirational leader, continuing a fine tradition of players who arrived at Grace Road from elsewhere to galvanise the county while enjoying some of the best moments of their career.

In the Sixties there was former England spinner Tony Lock and in 1969 Ray Illingworth who led a revolution on the pitch while Mike Turner, whose name is as synonymous with the county as some of its great post-War players, was leading one off it as an enlightened and passionate administrator.

Three years after his arrival ‘Illy’ led the Foxes to their first major honour when they won the Benson & Hedges Cup. The John Player League followed two years later and again in 1977 but the club’s annus mirabilis was in 1975 when the County Championship was won for the first time, 80 years after Leicestershire gained first-class status. That same summer the county regained the B&H and a certain D.I. Gower made his debut.

During the 1990s Leicestershire enjoyed another successful decade under James Whitaker, like Illingworth a pragmatic leader who fashioned a wonderful work ethic and team spirit in the dressing room.

Twice in three seasons – 1996 and 1998 – Leicestershire won the Championship and they also reached two Lord’s finals. In the first decade of the new Millennium they established themselves as one of the most consistent teams in the newest format of the game, winning the Twenty20 title in 2004 and 2006 and reaching Finals Day on two other occasions.

Five years later they were at it again and the emergence of some talented young players such as Nathan Buck, Josh Cobb and Matt Boyce suggests last year’s success could herald the start of another glorious era for Leicestershire cricket.

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Celebrations The 1998 squad celebrate winning the County Championship for the second time in three seasons

HISTORY Champions Ray Illingworth holds aloft the Benson & Hedges Cup after our five-wicket triumph over Middlesex at Lord’s in 1975

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THE CAPTAIN

Matthew Hoggard H

ello and welcome to Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s brand new magazine.

The club won the Friends Life t20 trophy in 2011 and has worked incredibly hard to get back onto a sound financial footing and we are all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

I started the Captain’s Club in 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed being part of it. It is vital that clubs like ourselves work with the local community and businesses to help each other out and we want to keep that theme going in the future.

I have enjoyed playing at Grace Road since joining the county and it was great to win the Friends Life t20 quarter-final against Kent in front of a packed ground.

Our hospitality packages for matches offer tremendous value for money and allow you to watch the game from a great vantage point. By flicking through this brochure, you will be able to see what delights Leicestershire CCC has to offer on a matchday.

Grace Road also offers so much more than a cricket venue. The Charles Palmer Suite is used as a restaurant on matchdays and is the ideal place to hold a special party or a business event. The Fernie, Cottesmore and the David Gower Suites are ideal meeting rooms, as are the private boxes in the Mike Turner Cricket Centre. The Fox Bar has been refurbished and offers the chance to enjoy a drink and snack in comfort.

The opportunities are endless.

We want people to come and enjoy our facilities all year round, not just for cricket, because we feel that Grace Road is an ideal hosting venue with plenty of parking available.

As well as showcasing all that Grace Road has to offer, I hope you enjoy the articles in this magazine.

We are all looking forward to the 2012 season. We have a young, vibrant team and we’re ready to surprise a few people again! I look forward to seeing you at Grace Road throughout the summer.

Best wishes Matthew

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NATHAN BUCK

In at the deep end Foxes’ quick bowler Nathan Buck was happy to go out of his comfort zone in the England Performance Programme this winter

By Daniel Nice

Bowling against England Lions in February for the Performance squad

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NATHAN BUCK Hard work for Nathan in the Loughborough gym

Nathan is put through his paces in the nets during the England Performance Programme

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eicestershire seamer Nathan Buck was thrown in at the deep end during the first part of the ECB’s England Performance Programme this winter.

If the players were expecting a three-week training camp at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough to consist purely of cricket, then the ECB’s arrangements would have come as a big surprise.

Teamwork, communication, trust and organisation are vital to success on the cricket field but Buck and his fast-bowling colleagues learnt about the value of those attributes in a completely different context.

Buck said: “The ECB kept it all pretty secret. They told us that we were going to a white water centre and to a fire station but we didn’t know exactly what we were going to be doing or how much we were going to be involved. It turned out to be a full-on experience.

“We were with white water rescue at first and got kitted out.

We wore skins as a base layer, an all -in-one fleece and a huge dry suit with seals around the neck and wrists. We also had to wear helmets, life jackets and boots.

“We were given some training and did some rescue drills where we had to save our dummy, who was placed in a number of different grades of water from 1-5.

“The first was like a little stream but the later grades were very hard. You had to go between gaps in the rocks and couldn’t see what was ahead so that was a bit of a scary experience.”

The next part of the challenge for Buck came with fire rescue, where the players learnt about the physical and mental demands of the profession.

“We were driven up to Manchester Fire Service and they gave us all of the proper gear,” said Buck. “We had face masks and full oxygen tanks. We did a breathing apparatus drill where you had to walk into a smoke-filled room and try to rescue dummies.

“I was paired with James Harris and we went into the building with somebody who was fully trained. You couldn’t see much but

we rescued our body. At 11 o’clock at night we did hose-running drills for an hour. You had to do six drills in eight minutes and it was really hard physical work.

“We were on Blue watch with Gorton Fire Service in Manchester and then went to another station and were oncall with them. We got woken up at 6.30am when there was a call but it was some distance away and had been put out. We followed in a vehicle behind the main fire engine to see how it all works.

“It was then onto another fire station where we did car-crash scenarios. We used the Jaws of Life and had to smash all of the windows in with proper machinery. They gave us old cars to cut into. It was a real-life scenario.”

Buck, who went on to spend time with the fast bowlers in Potchefstroom, South Africa, felt that the overall experience was extremely worthwhile.

He said: “It was a real learning curve. It taught us about teamwork, communication and trust as well as fitness. We’re really lucky to be cricketers and the whole experience taught us to have great respect for the firemen and rescue crew. It also taught us not to take anything for granted.

“It taught us about dealing with pressurised situations and knowing when to be fully switched on. There was a real emphasis on teamwork and communication throughout the three weeks that will stand us in good stead for the rest of the winter and the rest of our careers.”

The hard work put in, both during these team-bonding events and in the nets at Loughborough, paid off for Nathan when he played for the England Lions against the full England one-day side in a warm-up game prior to England’s series with Pakistan in Dubai in February.

The 20-year-old finished wicket-less in six overs but it was another important milestone in the career of the Foxes’ youngster who will again be the focal point of our seam attack in both Championship and one-day cricket this season.

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HOSPITALITY

Matchday Hospitality 2012 From the Prestige of the LV County Championship to the action-packed excitement of the Twenty20 Cup, Leicestershire is the perfect setting for hospitality.

Entertain between eight and 40 guests in stylish surroundings. All of our first-floor suites offer fantastic views of the Grace Road playing area from individual private balconies. All are fully equipped with private bars and colour TVs.

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HOSPITALITY

LV= County Championship and CB40 League matches Hospitality package includes: • Exclusive use of one of our private executive suites • Match tickets for you and your guests • Tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival • Two-course lunch served in your suite • Traditional afternoon tea served in your suite • Private bar facility within your suite – drinks charged on consumption • PA announcements • Two reserved car parking spaces per 10 guests

Prices: LV=CC: £40 per person plus vat CB40: £45 per person plus vat (Minimum of 8 people)

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FL t20 Cup and Australia Hospitality package includes: • Exclusive use of one of our private executive suites • Match tickets for you and your guests • Souvenir gift for each guest • Tea, coffee and biscuits • Savoury snacks on arrival • Two-course buffet served in your suite • Bar facility within your suite – drinks charged on consumption • PA announcements • Two reserved car parking spaces per 10 guests

Price: £60 per person plus vat (Minimum of 10 people)

2012 MEMBERSHIP

Join Leicestershire L

eicestershire membership represents Show your support and become a great value for money with the chance member today!

Benefits Include: to watch entertaining cricket whilst Admission to all LV=County Championship matches enjoying many other benefits.

Admission to all CB40 Home Group matches It promises to be an exciting season as Admission to both days of the tourist match against West Indies Free Admission to LV=County Championship matches at Matthew Hoggard, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Northamptonshire (unless Leicestershire and the boys defend their Friends Life t20 Nottinghamshire are playing) title and look for promotion in the Preferential ticket applications for FL t20 Cup finals when Leicestershire are involved LV= County Championship.

Complimentary Yearbook available from the club office from the start of the season

Free car parking for LV=County Championship games subject to availability.

If you would like more details please call 0871 2821879.

Charlie Fox Membership is fantastic value for money in the 2012 season for those under the age of 16. It is available at a price of just ÂŁ10 for all matches!

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FOXES’ NEWS

Hoggy happy to help S

kipper Matthew Hoggard has become the first patron of The Harley Staples Trust, a children’s charity set up by the parents of a little boy who died of cancer.

The Trust has raised more than £200,000 since it was founded three years ago by Jamie and Katherine Staples, from Blaby, when their eight-year-old Harley fell ill early in 2009.

They aim to raise enough money to open a holiday home in the county for other seriously ill youngsters and Hoggy, who has a four-year-old son Ernie, was happy to help out.

He said: “When you haven’t got kids you see charity appeals and things on TV and you’re not that affected but, as soon as you become a parent, that changes.

“You think ‘What if something like that happens to my boy?’ I get upset even thinking about that now. Having children just changes your perspective on life. If I can help raise awareness of a local charity like this the better.”

New role for Nico L

eicestershire legend Paul Nixon has a new role at Grace Road after he was appointed an ambassador for the county.

Nico, who retired after the Twenty20 Cup triumph last August to bring down the curtain on a 22-year career – will help our commercial team increase revenue and will provide help and support at club events.

He said: “I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to join the commercial team as club ambassador. I will do my utmost to take Leicestershire forward.”

Chief Executive Mike Siddall said: “Paul will work in a part-time capacity to fit in with his other commitments and I am delighted to welcome him into this very important and innovative role for the club.

I am really pleased that Paul is continuing his long association with Leicestershire cricket.”

In a fantastic professional career which included two spells at Grace Road, Paul scored more than 23,000 runs and represented England in the 2007 World Cup.

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conference SUITES

Events H

ere at Leicestershire County Cricket Club, we can offer excellent conference and banqueting facilities and cater for your individual needs whatever your event or celebration

Whether you are looking to enjoy a day at the cricket or throw a party, then our team can guide you through the options available.

We can cater for up to 200 people for large events, or much smaller numbers if you require.

Charles Palmer Suite The Charles Palmer Suite is ideal for parties and wedding receptions. Amenities include: • Conference and meeting space for up to 200 people

Cottesmore Suite Like the Fernie Suite, this provides an excellent view of Grace Road. Amenities include: • Quality meeting space for up to 20 people within the pavilion • Equipment available for hire

• Multi-purpose room which can be sub-divided

• Private balcony

• Adjacent bar and breakout areas

• Panoramic views of the square and outfield

• Equipment available for hire

• Natural daylight

• Dinners for up to 170 people

• Extensive range of catering packages

• Extensive range of catering packages

Media Suite An excellent facility available on non-match days. Amenities include: • Classroom-style meeting room for up to 45 people • Equipment available for hire • Other syndicate rooms in close proximity • Excellent views of the ground • Natural daylight • Extensive range of catering packages

Fernie Suite Here, you can watch the cricket in style while doing business or enjoying the company of your friends or family. Amenities include: • Quality meeting space for up to 40 people within the pavilion • Equipment available for hire • Bar facility • Private balcony • Panoramic views of Grace Road • Natural daylight • Match day sponsor suite • We also offer an extensive range of catering packages

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Executive Boxes Our boxes offer great views from the Bennett End of the ground. Amenities include: • Four meeting rooms available for up to 12 people in each • Equipment available for hire • Private balconies • Excellent views of the square and outfield • Natural daylight • Extensive range of catering packages

Call 0871 282 1679 for further information

conference SUITES

The David Gower Executive Club

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eicestershire’s most exclusive membership, The David Gower Executive Club, features exceptional private viewing facilities.

David Gower Executive Club members enjoy use of an excellent suite and balcony providing a fantastic vantage point over Grace Road.

Membership brings a range of unique benefits for the discerning cricket enthusiast. In addition to the standard benefits of being a Leicestershire member, David Gower Club members can also enjoy: • Use of the superb David Gower Club suite for all matches played at Grace Road • Guaranteed parking in the David Gower Club car park for all home games • Opportunity to invite a guest to a game (subject to availability and payment at gate price) • Hostess service • Guaranteed ticket allocation for FL t20 finals if Leicestershire are involved (subject to payment) • Tea, coffee and biscuits available throughout the day Prices - Single Membership: £375 including VAT Joint Membership: £700 including VAT Interested? To purchase an exclusive David Gower Club membership call 0871 282 1879.

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Nathan Buck

FOXES’ NEWS

County post a profit T

he economic outlook remains gloomy but after declaring a loss of more than £400,000 in 2011, Leicestershire were delighted to post a profit of £294,000 in their latest financial results.

Donations totaling around £200,000 were a big help and so was an increase in central funding from the ECB to all counties as a result of a successful Test series against India last summer.

Chief Executive Mike Siddall said the club had invested in their commercial department to drive revenue streams from noncricket activity.

Smith’s back

He added: “The current financial year will not have the benefit of the exceptional income received in 2011 and, with the economy close to recession, commercial income is difficult to secure.

“The directors have set a break-even budget for 2012 and we will need the support of members and corporate sponsors to achieve this target. With this in mind we have strengthened the commercial department in order to produce greater sponsorship and related income.”

Squad prepare in Caribbean

C I

t’s a warm welcome back to Grace Road for Ben Smith, who rejoined us after a decade with Worcestershire as batting coach in January.

Ben, who was part of the Championship winning team of 1996 and 1998, retired from playing in 2010 and spent last season as batting and fielding coach at New Road.

Coach Phil Whitticase said: “Ben’s come home if you like and it’s great to have such an experienced pro helping guide our young batsman. It’s a role we have been looking to fill and he was the ideal candidate.”

oach Phil Whitticase will take the professional squad to the Caribbean for an 11-day training camp in March.

County are heading to Barbados where they will play two two-day games as well as 40 and 20 overs matches.

With the domestic season starting on April 5, Phil stressed the importance of getting guaranteed outdoor training and match practice.

He said: “The key thing is outdoor practice which what we need with the season starting in early April.”

Skipper Matthew Hoggard (shoulder) and batsman Josh Cobb (knee) have been working on injury rehab since the turn of the year.

Phil added: “Josh is moving forward really quickly.

Matthew’s rehab is going okay and he is working hard on his conditioning.”

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2011 Presentation Night

And the winners are...

Will Jefferson won the cricketer of the year award at Leicestershire’s Probiz Awards Night.

Cricketer of the Year Will Jefferson with most improved uncapped player Wayne White

The batsman played the key role in the Foxes’ Friends Life t20 super over semifinal victory against Lancashire Lightning by smashing 15 runs from the four balls that he received and also scored 1,007 LV=County Championship runs in 2011.

Jefferson received his award from Probiz Managing Director Feisal Nahaboo and said: “It is great to be able to pick up this trophy. I sat at the ceremony last year when Claude Henderson won it and thought that it would be nice to add my name to it.

“That’s what it should all be about; people aspiring to achieve things and win trophies. We have lots of young players here who will now look to add their name to it.

“We had a superb t20 campaign where everybody had defined roles and then executed them. Josh Cobb had a role as striker as opener and I had a similar role going in at three. Everybody won games and we had a great spirit which we must now transfer into the four-day game.”

It was a profitable night for Jefferson, who also won the Supporters’ player of the year trophy, while James Taylor and Jigar Naik picked up the Livingston Cup for Batting and Frank S Smith Cup for Bowling in the First XI respectively.

Taylor passed 1,000 runs for the third consecutive season while Naik picked up 49 first-class wickets, which was the best by any Leicestershire bowler. Neither player was able to make the ceremony because of England Performance Programme commitments in India but Naik had the following message.

He said: “I’m sorry I can’t be here tonight but it is an honour to win the Frank S Smith Cup. I’d like to thank a lot of people, including

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Claude Henderson, who has helped me no-end in my time at Leicestershire.”

Andrew McDonald and Wayne White each scooped two trophies on the night. The Australian all-rounder scooped the coveted players’ player of the year award and the John Josephs award for best individual performance in a first XI match for his sparkling 164 against Northamptonshire White had a consistent all-round season in first-class cricket and picked up the Livingston Award for most improved uncapped player.

His dynamic fielding performances, particularly in one-day cricket, helped him land the Roger Goadby Award.

The Livingston Cup for outstanding performance in the Second XI went to Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb, who made double-centuries in a record-breaking stand in the game against Lancashire at Leicester Ivanhoe CC. The duo shared 401 in a second-wicket partnership that was the highest recorded in the history of the Second XI Championship and both said that the partnership helped their season.

“After making that double hundred, I made back-to-back Championship centuries in the first team,” said Boyce. “I didn’t finish the season as strongly as I’d have liked but it was good to score those hundreds and occupy the crease for long periods.”

Cobb said: “It was good to make those runs against the red ball as my first-team success came against the white ball. It was good to be able to express myself in one-day cricket but my challenge now is to come back and score runs against the red ball.”

Elaine Pickering, who works as PA to the CEO and Cricket Department, won the Logan Trophy for most valuable support given to the club during the year.

Elaine worked tirelessly in getting everything organised ahead of the Nokia Champions League T20 tournament in India and Chief Executive Mike Siddall presented her with the much-deserved award.

2011 Presentation Night Former Leicestershire paceman Devon Malcolm, now a Probiz Ambassador, with Josh Cobb and Paul Nixon

Simon Manley, Managing Director of Michael John Flooring, presents Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb with the Livingston Cup

Friends Life t20 Champions!

Elaine Pickering picks up the Logan Cup from CEO Mike Siddall

Will Jefferson picks up the Cricketer of the Year award from PROBIZ Managing Director Feisal Nahaboo

Matthew Hoggard collects the John Josephs Award from John Josephs on behalf of Andrew McDonald

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FOXES’ GOLD

From the pit to Leicestershire legend Les Taylor talks to Pat Gibson about his career and insists: ‘I have no regrets’

T

here is a cricket ball mounted on a wooden plinth at Les Taylor’s home deep in the Leicestershire countryside which is a fitting tribute to the last coalminer to come up from the pit and open the bowling in an Ashes-winning England team.

It was presented to him by the National Coal Board and bears the inscription: ‘The final ball of the Ashes series 1985 – caught and bowled Les Taylor.” And thereby hangs a tale.

The facts are simple. Taylor played in the last two Tests that summer and when he took that return catch to dismiss Murray Bennett he gave England a second successive innings victory and a 3-1 win in the series.

How he came to be there is not so straightforward. He grew up only yards from the cricket ground at Earl Shilton and was playing for the third team by the age of 12 because he had such a strong arm that they picked him for his fielding.

He learned how to bowl there and moved on to Hinckley Town, then one of the strongest clubs in the Midlands, but county cricket was a world away as he completed a five-year apprenticeship as a carpenter and the very next day joined his father, Cyril, a miner for 35 years, down the pit because he could earn £50 a week more.

He worked underground at Bagworth Colliery, the last pit in Leicestershire which closed in 1991, for three years until MJK (Mike) Smith, the former Warwickshire and England captain, who lived nearby and had seen some of his match-winning performances for Hinckley, asked him if he would like to have a trial at Edgbaston.

“I’d love to,” said Les, but first he had to write to the county of his birth to ask for their permission and Leicestershire invited him to have nets with them. “It wasn’t easy because a lot of the guys spoke with a plum in their mouths and I was a rough and ready lad from the pit.”

Taylor soon showed them that he could bowl, though, and after a season in the 1st XI he got his opportunity in 1977, by

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which time he was 23. He made his firstclass debut against Oxford University, played against the Australians (claiming the prized wickets of Rick McCosker and David Hookes) and broke into the Sunday League team that went on to win the John Player title.

“We had a good side – Illy (Ray Illingworth) was captain, Higgy (Ken Higgs) was bowling like a trooper, Birky (Jack Birkenshaw), Tolly (Roger Tolchard) and, of course, the boy Ivan (David Gower) just coming through and slapping the ball to all parts.”

Plain Les, tall and strong and moving the ball both ways at a brisk pace, made his Championship debut the following

career. He carried on taking wickets for Leicestershire and had a lot of success in a Natal side containing such great players as Barry Richards and Mike Procter.

He even contemplated emigrating to South Africa when he was offered a lucrative job as a mine manager but he still had a hankering to play for England and his ambition was fulfilled in 1985 when his four wickets at 44 did not reflect how well he bowled.

He topped the first-class bowling averages in the West Indies that winter but was not picked for a single Test even though England were whitewashed 5-0 and finally wound down his career with a season captaining Leicestershire 1st XI

“It wasn’t easy because a lot of the guys spoke with a plum in their mouths and I was a rough and ready lad from the pit.” summer and when he took 75 wickets at only 21 runs apiece in 1981 he was on the brink of the England team that was about to tour India.

“Towards the end of that season, I was in the showers after a good day in the field when Alec Bedser (then chairman of selectors) walked in and said: ‘Keep yourself fit, Les …you’ll be going to India.

“I went home and told my wife, Sue, and the following Sunday we sat listening to the wireless as the team was announced. I wasn’t in it and to this day I’ve never had an explanation. I went to South Africa to play for Natal instead and when I heard that there was a rebel tour coming up I thought: ‘Well, if that’s the way England are going to treat you…’”

Taylor was the leading wicket-taker on that tour and though he was subsequently banned from playing for England for three years they turned out to the best of his

and two more back at Hinckley Town.

And that was that. He turned his back on cricket (“I just thought that part of my life had gone”), got a job as a postman, concentrated on his golf and, when he got his handicap down to five, thought he could complete a Leicestershire double by representing the county at two sports.

Sadly it was not to be. “I thought it would be a nice thing to do but three years ago I was struck down by pneumonia and suffered a collapsed lung.

I finished up having my lung stitched to my rib cage and can’t swing properly now though I still play off 12.”

There is no bitterness, no regrets. “I wouldn’t swap any part of it,” Taylor, now 58 and living contentedly in his rural idyll surrounded by family and friends. “I only played two Tests but that’s a lot more than most people do. Once I’d done that, I felt my career was complete.”

FOXES’ GOLD

Ashes winner

25

Josh Cobb

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Match ball sponsorship Match ball sponsorship provides a great day out at Grace Road and gives you an opportunity to combine high-profile advertising with memorable hospitality at an affordable price

A

s match ball sponsor, you and your clients will enjoy a day to remember.

There is a selection of sponsorship packages to suit the occasion from the fast-flowing FLt20 Cup, which Leicestershire won in 2011, one-day CB40 action or the LV=County Championship.

Whatever game you choose, we can tailor to your individual needs.

Our team will be happy to discuss the opportunities for your company to reach a specific target audience at an established, prestigious venue.

Match ball Sponsorship - FLt20 • Souvenir mounted match ball signed by both captains and presented on the day • Photograph with the two Captains before the start of the game • Exclusive use of one of our private executive suites at the Bennett End • Match tickets for you and your guests • Tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival • Two-course buffet served in your suite • Traditional afternoon tea served in your suite • Private bar facility within your suite – drinks charged on consumption • PA announcements • Souvenir gift for each guest • Two reserved car parking spaces per 10 guests Price: £85 per person plus vat (minimum of 10 guests seated in a private suite)

Match ball Sponsorship – LV= County Championship and CB40 • Seating for four in the Boardroom • One reserved car parking space • Souvenir gift for each guest • Photograph with the two Captains before the start of the game (first day only in LV County Championship games) • Three-course lunch with wine for four guests served in the Charles Palmer Suite • Full afternoon tea served in the Boardroom • Drinks to include beer, wine and soft drinks • PA announcements • Match day scorecard acknowledgement • Souvenir mounted match ball signed by both captains and presented on the day Price: £350 plus VAT Interested? Email sales@leicestershireccc.co.uk or call 0116 2452451

27

OVERSEAS AID

Sarwan’s here with a point to prove Leicestershire believe they have pulled off quite a coup by signing West Indies’ batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan for the new season. Bruce Talbot reports.

O

ne of the most consistent Test batsmen of the modern era is joining Leicestershire this summer.

West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan has replaced Australian all-rounder Andrew McDonald and was due to meet up with the rest of the squad for our pre-season training camp in Barbados, before flying to the UK ahead of the opening County Championship match at home to Glamorgan on April 5.

The arrival of the 31-year-old is a massive coup for the county, not least because of his availability across all three formats this summer, pending a successful work permit application.

Chief Executive Mike Siddall said: “We are delighted to have completed the signing of Ramnaresh Sarwan.

“He has an impressive Test record and his availability to play all forms of the game for us during the 2012 season is an added

With that format in mind, it is also worth noting that Sarwan is a useful leg break and googly bowler with 23 Test wickets to his name.

Sarwan’s imminent arrival at Grace Road ended a long and often frustrating search for a new overseas player for Head Coach Phil Whitticase.

Phil said: “He is a high-quality top-order batsman and, at 31, he is the ideal age and will offer experience in our changing room.

“I’m sure he has got the hunger to play because he has lost his place in the West Indies set-up.

“He is keen to get back, and he wants to come over and get performances under his belt.

“We have been looking for someone of his ability to add confidence to our top-order batting.”

“He is a high-quality top-order batsman and, at 31, he is the ideal age and will offer experience in our changing room” bonus. We wanted to sign an experienced overseas batsman and he certainly fits the bill.”

Sarwan played international cricket regularly for 11 years and was often the mainstay of the West Indies’ top order alongside Shiv Chanderpaul during that time.

He made 84 on debut against Pakistan and has scored 15 Test centuries, including a best of 291 in the home series win over England three years ago. It came during a prolific scoring streak for Sarwan who made 107, 94 and 106 earlier in that series.

He played the last of his 87 Tests against India last June but was left out of the winter tours to Bangladesh and India because of injury and was then controversially omitted from the Caribbean t20 tournament by his home state Guyana who claimed they had concerns over his fitness, a charge strongly denied by the player.

West Indies are due to tour England this summer and Sarwan could even face them with the county due to host the tourists over two days in June at Grace Road.

West Indies’ loss is very much Leicestershire’s gain though.

In 260 appearances for his country, including 173 one-day internationals, he has scored more than 20,000 runs and Foxes’ fans will be hoping he can reproduce that form this summer as Leicestershire look to mount a sustained promotion challenge in the County Championship and defend the coveted Friends Life t20 crown.

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The county had been keen to sign Pakistan Test ace Mohammad Yousuf and contracts had been agreed before that deal bit the dust. Then a move for emerging Aussie Ed Cowan was scuppered by the Australian Cricket Board, who insisted Cowan rested ahead of Australia A’s tour here this summer.

Phil added: “The stumbling block with Cowan was that we could not get permission from the Australia Cricket Board. They wanted him to finish with the team he is with and then have a break.

“Australia A are touring here in July and they want him to be involved. You can find a player who you think will be great for you, but there are so many things you have to deal with before you get him.

“You will rarely see an up-and-coming overseas cricketer in English cricket because they don’t meet the criteria. For us, Sarwan is a quality signing.”

Sarwan could by no stretch of the imagination be described up and coming. In fact, there will be fewer more experienced overseas players on the county circuit this summer than the Guyanese run-machine.

With a point to prove to the selectors back home there is even more incentive for ‘Ronnie’ to join the long and illustrious list of overseas players who have served Leicestershire with distinction over the years.

OVERSEAS AID

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THE BIG PICTURE

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THE BIG PICTURE This was the never to be forgotten scene last August as proud skipper Matthew Hoggard and the Foxes celebrated our stunning FLt20 triumph. Can we do it again in 2012? Whatever happens, make sure you are with us for the journey!

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BEN SMITH

Innings of my life New batting coach Ben Smith recalls how he produced his best for the county when they needed him most

By Daniel Nice The Venue: The Oval Year: 1998 Score: 204 Significance: Helped Leicestershire win the Championship at the expense of the opposition, Surrey.

RIGHT & FAR RIGHT Ben Smith takes on the Surrey bowling during his 204 at the Oval in 1998

A

t 102-4 at lunch on the first day of the 1998 Championship decider at The Oval, Leicestershire were not in the best of shape.

The county desperately wanted to show intent at the start of the innings but the pre-lunch loss of Vince Wells, Darren Maddy, Iain Sutcliffe and influential skipper Phil Simmons was a huge blow.

Step forward Ben Smith, Aftab Habib and Paul Nixon, who turned the game completely on its head against an attack that included Martin Bicknell, Joey Benjamin, the Hollioake brothers and Ian Salisbury – all England bowlers.

Smith put on 252 with Habib (114) and a further 126 with Nixon (101*) while making his career-best tally of 204. It is fair to say that his best innings came at the best possible moment.

Leicestershire’s new batting coach was keen to stress that although his innings is the one most remembered, it was a real team effort at Grace Road that season which helped us lift the domestic game’s blue riband for the second time in three years.

Smith was the only batsman to score more than 1,000 runs and Alan Mullally the only bowler to snap up more than 50 wickets.

With only 16 players used and given Tim Mason and Dominic Williamson playing just a game each, it was a real collective effort by a relatively small squad.

He said: “I batted four that year and we lost Darren and Sutty (Iain Sutcliffe) early on. We also lost Vince (Wells) and Simmo (Phil Simmons) before lunch but Afi (Aftab Habib) batted brilliantly and was only out just before the close.

“It was an interesting situation to be in. You should never look too far ahead. Even now, when you go in, I think batsmen should concentrate a lot more on setting their stall out and building an innings.

32

“There will be times where you can naturally go through the gears and get on top of the bowlers in an innings. You don’t have to look to do it. There will then be a phase where the bowlers get on top of you and you have to win that battle and see that bowler off and that’s just as important.

“I think that’s what I did in that innings. There were periods when the bowlers got on top. Ben Hollioake bowled a very good spell at me at one stage and Ian Salisbury got the ball to turn sharply on the second morning so, at times, I was looking to get through those six-over spells. The pressure was on but there was also a time to relieve that pressure. I got myself in a position to be able to do that.”

Smith admits that he’s not one for talking himself up too highly but does recall some other fine innings made in his career.

He said: “I’m pretty boring when it comes to memories of specific games! I made a century on debut for Worcestershire that was really important because it was a big move for me. I dragged myself and my family away and that wasn’t a kneejerk decision.

“I made a couple of hundreds at Worcestershire that I had to work really hard for and I made a century against a Lancashire attack of Jimmy Anderson, Glen Chapple, Dominic Cork and Andrew Symonds in 2005 that was up there with the best of my 40 first-class hundreds.

“I also have some fond memories of my time playing firstclass cricket for Central Districts in New Zealand. I made a double century at a beautiful ground called Pukekura Park against Canterbury. Any innings where I felt as though I dominated are the ones that stand out.”

BEN SMITH

“You should never look too far ahead. Even now, when you go in, I think batsmen should concentrate a lot more on setting their stall out and building an innings.�

Ben (centre) on the Oval balcony as skipper Phil Simmons and the team celebrate our last Championship triumph 14 years ago

33

Matthew Hoggard

THe Captain’s CluB

The Captain’s Club The Captain’s Club was created by skipper Matthew Hoggard when he came to Leicestershire and once again Matthew and the squad are offering the opportunity to support the club and the players in this unique way

2011 Founder members Mr Peter W. Freer Moore and York Oracle Property Finance Clements Retail

The Captain’s Club underpins the determination of Hoggy and the players to bring further success to the club, both on and off the playing field, and is a great way to get closer to the players. Benefits include: • 2 David Gower Memberships • 4 Ground Memberships • Invitation to attend two lunches to two home fixtures games (dates to be confirmed) at the Captain’s table for the member and two guests at each event • Invitation to the club’s pre-season press day - photo with the Captain • Pre-season invitation for two to spend the day with the team and enjoy a day in the life of a cricketer • Member’s name on the Captain’s Club acknowledgment board in the Charles Palmer Suite • Named car parking space in the Gower Car Park • Invitations to club events during the season • 10% discount on hospitality and meeting room hire at Grace Road • 2012 signed bat by the Leicestershire squad • Invitation for two to Leicester Racecourse, including lunch and wine, at the end of the season • Invitation for two to the end of season Player Awards Dinner • Acknowledgement on the club’s website with a click through to your website • Acknowledgement in the club’s yearbook

Price £2500 plus VAT

Interested?

Email sales@leicestershireccc.co.uk or call 0116 2452451

35

COMPANY PARTNER MEMBERSHIP

Partner up with Leicestershire T

he Company Partner Membership is a must-have for all businesses at it is the perfect way to mix work with pleasure.

For the price of £870, your company will receive six transferable passes which gives entry to ALL fixtures in 2012*.

The membership is in the company name, so that means any six people can come along to all FL t20 fixtures among other matches. It therefore provides a perfect opportunity to give your employees and colleagues a real treat after a hard day’s work.

Also as part of this great package, there is complimentary use of a hospitality suite (excluding food & drink) at one day of an LV=County Championship game of your choice, subject to availability.

36

For more information, or to purchase a Company Partnership membership, please call 0871 282 1879.

Prices for this fantastic membership (6 tickets in the Company name): £870 for full membership (includes WI and CB40) £600 without FL t20 * This membership, like other packages, does not include games in the FL t20 and CB40 outside of the group stage

Nice one partner Wayne White and Matthew Boyce celebrate last year’s Friends Life t20 semi-final win over Kent Spitfires at Grace Road

The Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket LTD

Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Limited, County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, LE2 8AD Tel: +44 (0) 116 244 2198 www.leicestershirecricket.co.uk Dedication to the development of Cricket at all levels

Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket Board team Ged McDougall Cricket Development Manager 07789 550339 Chairman 07739 422460

David Bailey Cricket Development Officer Clubs 07969 525032

Laura Joyce Cricket Development Officer - Schools, Community & Volunteering 07749 143487

Tom Leonard Cricket Development Coach Chance to Shine 07821 839252

eeta Patel N Cricket Development Officer Performance 07976 733489

2012 Chance to Shine Headlines 1 66 New Schools a. Also deliver in existing schools where appropriate to maintain school club links, develop W&Gs cricket and Disabilities 2 Assembly visits will be delivered into all new schools 3 990 Matches to be played by schools involved 4 Total Clubs Engaged a Three clubs will continue to be engaged (Egerton Park, Market Harborough and Kirby Muxloe). We will continue to deliver the two city projects b 22 Club Marked Clubs c 12 women’s and girls clubs d 1 disabilities club 5 Deliver to 19,800 participants with many children migrating to club cricket 6 We will deliver Coach Development Days annually to ensure new and current coaches focus and drive key development areas 7 396 Hours of Teacher Training delivered 8 National Cricket Day Events (22nd June) 9 We will organise a LRC event each year to raise awareness and promote NCD 10 Clubs involved will support and encourage schools to take part in NCD by delivering an event at the club or providing information for schools to run their own games or cricket- themed lessons throughout the day 11 Sustainable Partnerships will be developed with every school and club

37

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Become a Patron of the Club and get even more closely associated with Leicestershire CCC

A must for all businesses, becoming a Club Patron includes the following benefits: • 24ft advertising board for the season including the manufacture of the board • Three season tickets in the company name to include entry into all of Leicestershire’s home fixtures including the tourist matches against West Indies and Australia • Acknowledgement in the Club’s yearbook and on the website

Price: £1200 + VAT Interested? email sales@leicestershireccc.co.uk or call 0116 2452451

Club Patrons 2011 EAS Windows Spearing Waite Squire Alarms Robert Pochin Limited Duncan Hopwood PR Media 4 UK Ltd John Cheatle Berkeley Burke Howzat Travel Freeth Cartwright LEBC Group

39

NED ECKERSLEY

New season can’t come soon enough Emerging keeper-batsman Ned Eckersley tells Daniel Nice how a winter in Zimbabwe has left him eager for the challenges of the 2012 campaign

T

here are many things more important than cricket but Leicestershire batsman Ned Eckersley saw the positive effect that the great game can have.

The 22-year-old spent six weeks in Zimbabwe at the end of 2011 playing first-class cricket and in the new Stanbic Bank 20 tournament, which attracted world stars such as Chris Gayle, Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait.

“With a programme that is going to get Zimbabwe back into Test cricket in the long-term they have a bright future ahead of them. They are excited about cricket in the next few years and it is a great place to go and play cricket.

“There are a number of top-class coaches, such as Jason Gillespie, Kevin Curran and Dave Houghton, and they’re playing a crucial part in getting Zimbabwe cricket back.

“Guys that played and have been around at the top level demand the best out of the young Zimbabweans who haven’t played a lot of first-class cricket. That can only help and the coaches are really

“I am looking to start in the first team and make some big scores. Then momentum will build and hopefully I can help take Leicestershire to some big things” Eckersley said: “I really enjoyed the trip to Zimbabwe. It’s a completely different world to the one that we live in. It’s good to experience new surroundings and face the challenges that come with it.

“We had a lot of free time between games because there are only five franchise teams and we got chance to experience the country, which was good fun. There was plenty of time to visit places, play golf and talk cricket.

“For Zimbabwe, it’s a case of taking it slowly but surely. We didn’t hear anything political going on and Zimbabwe seems to be a country just getting on with it and getting back to where it should be.

“Cricket is playing a big part in that and they’re slowly getting their cricket back to the top. They’re doing their best to overcome all of these things. There is a long way to go but they’re doing very well.”

Zimbabwe recently ended a Test exile of six years and Eckersley feels that the country has real reasons to be optimistic for the next few years.

“There were some very good Zimbabwean players in the tournament,” he said. “Brendan Taylor is an established international now and Zimbabwe’s captain and he’s an excellent player. There are some very good young players playing and I saw that first-hand in our own side.

40

getting them back on the right track.”

Eckersley is now looking to build on his promising 2011 season at Leicestershire after signing a two-year contract over the winter.

The batsman/wicketkeeper was prolific in the second team for much of the campaign and then grabbed his first-team opportunity with both hands.

Eckersley scored 322 first-class runs in just eight innings, including a fifty at Gloucestershire and century against Middlesex and wants to keep improving.

He said: “I haven’t got specific aims but I’m just looking to build on last season. The key was to winter well until the end of March and hopefully I can earn the right to start in the first team and build from there.

“I am looking to start in the first team and make some big scores. Then momentum will build and hopefully I can help take Leicestershire to some big things.

“It’s a different challenge coming in and starting again as I had impetus at the end of last season. However, I’m sure I can get the form going again with lots of hard work.

“We’re looking to start well and, if we can do that, momentum is a big thing in cricket. The lads have been really good from the start and I’m looking forward to settling down full-time in Leicester now.”

NED ECKERSLEY

Chris Gayle was one of several world stars whom Ned Eckersley faced during his Winter in Zimbabwe

41

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Who are GHC? GHC was formed in 1996 as a Stockbroking and Investment Management company. GHC is totally independent from any other financial organisation, thus allowing client executives to make investment decisions without reference to a larger parent company. GHC has become known for its progressive attitude towards portfolio management, where we monitor and assess the rapidly developing trends in global markets and increasingly complex financial instruments.

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PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Player sponsorship

Leicestershire has a winning culture after our Twenty20 success in 2011 and this is a great opportunity for you or business to get closer to the players who embrace it!

I

s your business one that offers experience and expertise in a particular field? If so, you may want to sponsor Captain Matthew Hoggard.

Or is your business one that is evergrowing, expanding and has a youthful feel about it? In that case, you may want to sponsor one of our exciting youngsters like Josh Cobb, Shiv Thakor or Nathan Buck.

Sponsorship of any one of the Leicestershire players can be a very attractive proposition for companies looking not only to work with their chosen player but also to see him in action at Grace Road.

The Player Sponsorship package includes: • Signed Shirt of your sponsored player presented to you at the end of the season • Company branding in the match-day programme for the home Twenty20 games • Two transferable season tickets in your company’s name • Invitation to meet your sponsored player at the pre-season press day and be photographed with the player • Website click through link and company acknowledgement, positioned under your nominated player

Interested? Email sales@leicestershireccc.co.uk or call 0116 2452451 Prices from £400 plus vat for the 2012 season dependent upon chosen player

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The perfect meeting place

The perfect meeting place Leicestershire County Cricket Club have invested significantly in the upgrade of its wide range of function suites and meeting rooms to provide the very best facilities in a unique location

F

rom a hospitality box at the Bennett End to the Charles Palmer Suite at the Pavilion End of the ground, Grace Road has a great selection of facilities which can host events for small groups or for up to 200 delegates.

We can tailor packages to suit your specific requirements with highly competitive day-delegate rates and we have on-site car parking for up to 250 people.

A wide selection of catering packages is also available to suit your budget.

All of the suites and function rooms benefit from panoramic views of Grace Road, making it a unique location for an event, and many of them include their own private balconies overlooking the playing area.

Would you like to stage an event at Grace Road? Call 0116 2452451 or email sales@leicestershireccc.co.uk

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The perfect meeting place Grace Road is one of the most well-known and best appointed of first-class cricket venues in England and the setting for some memorable games over the years.

Home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Grace Road has witnessed the county side winning the County Championship and staged some memorable evenings during our 2011 Twenty20 Cup success.

As well as great occasions on the pitch, one of the East Midlands’ most iconic sporting arenas has so much more to offer all year round.

Grace Road is proud of its growing reputation as a venue for an extensive range of corporate and private functions.

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FOXES’ NEWS

Re-live Lord’s triumph O

ne of the greatest days in the county’s history is being celebrated in April.

It is 40 years this summer since the 1972 Benson and Hedges Cup triumph under Ray Illingworth, the first major honour in our history.

Five of that team have agreed to attend the dinner, which is part of the county’s Benefit Year, at Welford Road including Barry Dudleston, John Steele and Terry Spencer.

Other guests include ex-Leicestershire players Dickie Bird, Paul Nixon and Jonathan Agnew.

The Benefit Year activities hope to raise around £40,000 for both the club and various local charities.

Chairman Paul Haywood said: “We want to make it a good anniversary year and want to increase the club’s finances. At the same time we want to take the club out into the community and the local game.”

Joseph on board Trio sign new deals

F

A

new face in the squad this summer will be Robbie Joseph, who has signed a short-term contract after Kent released him at the end of last season.

A former England Lion, Robbie struggled with injuries at the end of his Canterbury career but the 30-year-old was taking 55 wickets in the First Division as recently as 2008 and if he can prove his fitness he will push for a permanent deal when his contract runs out at the end of May.

our players who would have been out of contract at the end of the season have all signed new contracts.

Opener Will Jefferson, and Josh Cobb and seamer Alex Wyatt have all agreed extensions keeping them at Leicesteshire until 2013.

Josh was man of the match in last year’s Twenty20 final when he took four wickets against Somerset. He was also our most prolific scorer in the competition with 485 runs.

Will passed 1,000 first-class runs after establishing himself at the top of the order last summer and also played a key role in our t20 success while Wyatt will be pushing for more firstteam involvement this year.

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COUNTY ROUND-UP

Around the counties PAUL BOLTON, of the Daily Telegraph, rounds-up the winter news from our Second Division rivals ahead of the start of the 2012 season Derbyshire

Wayne Madsen (pictured), the South Africa-born batsman and former hockey international, is Derbyshire’s new captain following the sudden departure of wicketkeeper Luke Sutton who cited depression as the reason for his early retirement.

Former director of cricket David Houghton is back as part of head coach Karl Krikken’s coaching team but Steffan Jones, who combined playing with bowling coaching, has left for a new career in teaching.

Usman Khawaja and Martin Guptill will share the overseas duties with David Wainwright arriving from Yorkshire. Greg Smith has joined Essex.

Derbyshire’s profit of £20,215 was their fifth surplus in six years.

Essex

Graham Gooch’s appointment as England’s full-time batting coach means that a familiar face will be missing from Essex this season.

Matt Walker will combine Gooch’s county duties with reduced playing commitments.

Alviro Petersen (pictured), Glamorgan’s captain last year, should provide better value as overseas player than is compatriot Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

All-rounder Greg Smith (Derbyshire) and Charl Willoughby (Somerset) look handy recruits. Seamer Chris Wright has joined Warwickshire.

There will be no Essex matches at Garon Park in Southend this year which means more cricket at Chelmsford where progress on the ground redevelopment remains slow.

Glamorgan

Wicketkeeper Mark Wallace (pictured) is Glamorgan’s new captain following South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen’s controversial decision to join Essex as overseas player having reversed his decision to retire from international cricket and become a Kolpak signing.

Simon Jones, the former England pace bowler, is back in Wales but has much to prove following injury-blighted stints with Worcestershire and Hampshire.

Long-serving batsman Mike Powell has joined Kent and swing bowler Adam Shantry has retired.

Glamorgan’s finances look less precarious after former chairman Paul Russell, their bank and Cardiff City Council agreed to reschedule loan payments.

48

COUNTY ROUND-UP Gloucestershire

A traumatic winter for Gloucestershire who face an uncertain future in Bristol where the local council refused them planning permission for flats that would have funded major ground developments at Nevil Road.

The decision has had an impact on the playing budget with Chris Taylor’s contract offer, which depended on planning being approved, withdrawn. The batsman is taking Gloucestershire to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Batsman Dan Housego (pictured) has arrived from Middlesex but former England seamer Jon Lewis, another victim of the financial restrictions, has joined Surrey.

Hampshire

Opening batsman Jimmy Adams (pictured) will captain Hampshire following the retirement of Dominic Cork.

Adams has inherited a squad that was relegated last season and which is missing leg-spinner Imran Tahir who will be touring with South Africa. Former Australia batsman Simon Katich is back as overseas player but Michael Lumb has joined Nottinghamshire, Simon Jones has rejoined Glamorgan and Nic Pothas, Friedel de Wet and Johann Myburgh have been released.

The Rose Bowl is now owned by Eastleigh Council whose purchase secured the future of the ground which was in doubt after Hampshire received thin pickings in the ECB’s allocation of major matches.

Kent

Jimmy Adams, the former West Indies batsman and captain, is the new head coach, taking over from Paul Farbrace who left Canterbury at the end of last season and who is now Yorkshire’s second-team coach.

There is a Cowdrey on the playing staff again in batsman Fabian, an academy product who is son of Chris and grandson of Colin. Charlie Shreck (Nottinghamshire, pictured), Ben Harmison (Durham) and Mike Powell (Glamorgan) are experienced signings but Joe Denly has joined Middlesex and the prolific Martin van Jaarsveld had retired.

Kent seem to have turned the corner off the field by reporting a profit of £379,000 after several difficult trading years.

Northamptonshire

Former Leicestershire chief executive David Smith has made the short move down the road to Wantage Road where one of his first decisions was to cancel a pre-season tour to South Africa as a cost-cutting measure. Northamptonshire made a profit of £22,000 last year but a more difficult trading year is anticipated.

Promotion is a priority after another near-miss last year. Sri Lanka all-rounder Chaminda Vaas returns as overseas player and Scotland batsman Kyle Coetzer has joined from Durham.

Northamptonshire have secured private funding to recruit former Cape Cobras left-arm spinner Con de Lange, a British passport holder.

Veteran batsman Mal Loye has retired and left-arm seamer David Lucas has joined Worcestershire.

Yorkshire

Chairman Colin Graves called relegation last season “a disgrace” and shook up the coaching team with former Australia seamer Jason Gillespie the new head coach and with former Kent director of cricket Paul Farbrace now in charge of the second team.

Former Australia batsman Phil Jaques is back at Headingley, possibly as a domesticqualified player or a Kolpak. Slow left-armer David Wainwright has joined Derbyshire and rookies Lee Hodgson and Ben Sanderson have been released.

Yorkshire decided not to bid to host Ashes Tests at Headingley in 2013 or 2015 after making a loss of £460,000.

49

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INDOOR CRICKET

Outdoors and indoors Leicestershire have one of the best indoor cricket facilities in the country and it is available to hire to keep your game in shape.

N

amed after one of the stalwarts of Leicestershire cricket, our Mike Turner Cricket Centre has three top-of-the-range nets which are available to hire.

We also offer school holiday clinics and both group and individual coaching. The clinics and individual sessions are organised during school holidays. Hard and soft balls are used depending on the ability of the individual young cricketer and we cater for boys and girls aged between 6-18 years.

Individual coaching sessions can last for 30 minutes or an hour and enable you develop specific skills – batting or bowling – under the expert tuition of a Level 2 coach.

All our coaches have first aid and child protection skills and have been subject to CRB checks.

Our coaches include Dips Patel, Stephen Franklin and Suresh Keshwal, who are all involved in the Leicesterhire & Rutland Cricket Board’s County and District progammes.

They are supported by Level 4 coaches Russell Cobb, Phil Whitticase and Lloyd Tennant.

The indoor facilities at the Bennett End of the ground also include a gymnasium, syndicate rooms and lecture theatre as well as the main cricket hall.

Changing rooms, showers, viewing gallery, bar and social area are all available while there is car parking within walking distance of the facility.

Equipment can be offered for hire and packages tailored to your requirements including company training activities.

51

Advertising Opportunities

Perimeter board advertising This is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience throughout the cricket season The exposure includes: • Televised matches live on Sky Sports • Television highlights for many other county matches and capacity of 6,000 spectators for big games at Grace Road • Choice of high profile positions around the ground, either at pitch level or in elevated positions behind seating

Price: £995 + vat including manufacture Interested Email sales@leicestershirecc.co.uk or call 0116 2452451

52

Advertising Opportunities

53

FOXES’ GOLD

‘Just run up and bowl’ It is 40 years since one of the most influential players in Foxes history arrived at Grace Road. Ken Higgs went on to take more than 600 wickets in the twilight of his career and even turned out at the age of 49. Pat Gibson catches up with ‘Higgy’.

I

t is now 40 years since Mike Turner, Leicestershire’s legendary secretarymanager, was handed what he called “the key to the door” that led to the most successful period in the county’s history.

Turner thought he had located that key at the end of the 1969 season when Ken Higgs announced his retirement from first-class cricket after 12 seasons with Lancashire which had brought him 1,033 wickets and 15 England Test caps.

He could not get his hands on it, though. He tried to persuade Higgs to resume his career at Grace Road but the big fast-medium

75, living in Blackpool and as unassuming and undemonstrative as ever, chuckled when he was reminded of the feat. “I don’t go that far back anyway.”

It is hard to get him to look back at any of his other achievements, either, but the facts about a remarkable cricketer who actually began his sporting life as a footballer with Port Vale speak for themselves.

In all, Higgs took 371 first-class wickets at 25 runs apiece for Leicestershire and another 308 at 18 in the one-day game. He took three first-class hat-tricks – two for Lancashire, one for Leicestershire – plus another in the 1974 Benson and Hedges Cup Final when Leicestershire were beaten by Surrey. And he was a doughty, tailend batsman as well, sharing in two famous last wicket stands.

He and John Snow put on 128 for England against the West Indies at the Oval in 1966 and he and Illingworth added 228 for

“He was exactly the type of bowler we wanted, not only for Championship cricket but for the emerging one-day game as well, and he was the key to the door as far as I was concerned.” bowler from Staffordshire was adamant. He was absolutely fed up with county cricket and was going to play for Rishton in the Lancashire League.

Two years later, the phone rang in Turner’s office and he picked it up to hear a familiar voice saying: “Do you remember that conversation we had when I left Lancashire?”

Turner remembered it well and knew that he had got his man. “I had signed Tony Lock in 1965 and he gave us the lift we needed,” he recalled. “I signed Ray Illingworth in 1969 thinking we would have him for three or four years and he stayed for 10, And I would put Ken Higgs next in line in that category.

“He was exactly the type of bowler we wanted, not only for Championship cricket but for the emerging one-day game as well, and he was the key to the door as far as I was concerned.”

Higgs was already 35 but he always had an economical approach to the crease and a powerful body action and his supreme accuracy and bat-jarring pace helped Leicestershire win five trophies in the next six years – the County Championship in 1975, the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1972 and 1975 and the John Player League in 1974 and 1977.

He went on to captain the side in 1979 after Illingworth had left, became county coach and made another comeback in 1986 at the age of 49 because most of his charges were unfit. He promptly showed them how to do it by taking five for 22 against Yorkshire at Grace Road.

“You don’t count wickets against Yorkshire , do you?” Higgs, now

54

Leicestershire against Northamptonshire in 1977 when he made his highest score of 98.

“I used to nick it everywhere,” he said, doing scant justice to a straight bat and a front-foot technique and preferring to talk about the team he played for rather than his part in their success.

“Joining Leicestershire was a challenge, really,” he said.

“They had a useful side with players like Ray Illingworth, Graham McKenzie, Brian Davison, Chris Balderstone, Jack Birkenshaw and Roger Tolchard and we could take on any team in the country.

“Raymond used to say what he wanted and we got on like a house on fire and mucked in together, which is what it’s all about.

And I think we gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure.

“You only had to look at Terry Spencer, who’d been playing for Leicestershire for 20 years without a lot of success to see what it meant to him. He’d always been a good cricketer, the sort of player who’d run through a brick wall for you, but he had more enjoyment then than he’d ever had before. He loved stuffing the opposition and you could see it on his face.”

As for Ken Higgs the coach, his philosophy was simple, as Jonathan Agnew, one of his protégées, will tell you. “He is a lovely bloke and he was an amazing bowler but he used to get very frustrated because nobody else could bowl like he did. “’Just run up, put your left foot close to the wicket, hold the seam up and bowl,’ he would say. ’And if you don’t get it right you’ll be down the road.’”

FOXES’ GOLD

Watched by Ray Illingworth, Ken Higgs bowls in the Lord’s nets

55

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HOW TO FIND US

How to find us

From the M1 Motorway

M69/M1 Junction 21, take the A5460 along Narborough Road for approximately one mile. At the traffic lights at the junction of the Premier Travel Inn, turn right into Braunstone Lane. After approximately one mile, at the T-junction with Aylestone Road, turn left.

Continue down Aylestone Road and take a Right into Duncan Road continue straight and take the first left onto Curzon Road. This will take you to the Main Entrance *For satellite navigation please use the postcode LE2 8EH to gain access via the Curzon Road Entrance

From east

Stay on A47 west (Uppingham Road), continue on A47 to roundabout, take second exit (A594, St George’s Way), continue on A594 (Waterloo Way), follow on to Welford Road, follow signs to A426 (Aylestone Road), turn left on to Duncan Road, then second left on to Curzon Road. From west: from M69, Leicester, to M1 junction 21, then as for north.

From the City Centre and the Railway Station

Take the A594 (Waterloo Way/Welford Road) heading south. Pass Leicester Tigers Rugby Club on your right and follow signs for A426 towards Rugby. Join Aylestone Road and pass car dealership on the left. After one mile, turn left into Duncan Road, followed by first left into Curzon Road. The ground entrance is directly in front of you.

Car parking

There is a car park at the Curzon Road entrance. Please note that for Sky televised matches and Twenty20 fixtures that there is very limited opportunity for parking.

Please consider local residents before parking on the streets surrounding the ground.

Travelling by bus

Bus services run from St Margarets Bus Station in the City Centre: Service 47,48 Saffron Lane (every 15 mins weekdays, 20 mins Saturdays and 30 mins Sundays) Service 84,84A Aylestone Road (every 10 mins weekdays/Saturdays and 30 mins Sundays) drops off at various points close to Grace Road Service 85 Aylestone Road (every 10 mins weekdays/Saturdays and 30 mins Sundays) drops off at various points close to Grace Road For further information about timetables, contact Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or go to www.arrivabus.co.uk/serviceinformation

Travelling by Train

Leicester Station is served by regular services from London and the Midlands and it is a two-mile walk to Grace Road.

There is no vehicle access from Grace Road itself

57

2012 FIXTURES

APRIL Thurs 05/04 Fri 13/04 Thurs 19/04 Thurs 26/04

JULY LV=CC UNI LV=CC LV=CC

Glamorgan Loughborough MCCU Derbyshire Hampshire

Grace Road Loughborough University Derby Rose Bowl

LV=CC CB40 CB40 LV=CC CB40 LV=CC CB40 LV=CC LV=CC

Yorkshire Lancashire Lightning Essex Eagles Northamptonshire Gloucestershire Gladiators Essex Middlesex Panthers Kent Glamorgan

Scarborough Old Trafford Grace Road Grace Road Bristol Grace Road Grace Road Canterbury Cardiff

MAY Wed 02/05 Sun 06/05 Mon 07/05 Wed 09/05 Sun 13/05 Wed 16/05 Sun 20/05 Wed 23/05 Tues 29/05

JUNE Sat 02/06 Mon 04/06 Tues 05/06 Tues 12/06 Fri 15/06 Sun 17/06 Wed 20/06 Thurs 21/06 Fri 22/06 Wed 27/06 Fri 29/06

Key

TOM2 CB40 LV=CC FL t20 FL t20 FL t20 FL t20 TOM1 FL t20 FL t20 FL t20

West Indies Netherlands Derbyshire Nottinghamshire Outlaws Lancashire Lightning Yorkshire Carnegie Lancashire Lightning Australia Derbyshire Falcons Yorkshire Carnegie Derbyshire Falcons (F)

Grace Road Grace Road Grace Road Grace Road Grace Road Headingley Carnegie Old Trafford Grace Road Grace Road Grace Road Derby3

LV=CC = Liverpool Victoria County Championship - 4-day games CB40 = Clydesdale Bank 40-over League FL t20 = Friends Life t20 UNI = University Match - 3 days TOM2 = Tourist Match - 2 days

58

Sun 01/07 Fri 06/07 Sun 08/07 Wed 11/07 Sat 14/07 Sun 15/07 Wed 18/07 Wed 18/07 Fri 20/07 Sun 22/07 Tues 24/07 Wed 25/07 Fri 27/07

FL t20 FL t20 FL t20 CB40 CB40 CB40 LV=CC U19 int U19 int CB40 FL t20 FL t20 LV=CC

Durham Dynamos Durham Dynamos Nottinghamshire Outlaws Netherlands Worcestershire Royals Middlesex Panthers Gloucestershire England v Ireland England v Ireland Lancashire Lightning Quarter-Final Quarter-Final Yorkshire

Emirates Durham ICG Grace Road Trent Bridge VRA Amstelveen, Amsterdam Grace Road Uxbridge Cheltenham Grace Road Grace Road Grace Road TBC TBC Grace Road

LV=CC CB40 LV=CC CB40 LV=CC FL t20 CB40 LV=CC

Essex Essex Eagles Northamptonshire Worcestershire Royals Hampshire FINALS DAY Gloucestershire Gladiators Kent

Chelmsford Chelmsford Northampton Worcester Grace Road Cardiff Grace Road Grace Road

Semi-Finals Gloucestershire Final

TBC Grace Road Lord’s

AUGUST Wed 01/08 Sun 05/08 Fri 10/08 Sun 19/08 Tues 21/08 Sat 25/08 Mon 27/08 Tues 28/08

SEPTEMBER Sat 01/09 Tues 11/09 Sat 15/09

CB40 LV=CC CB40

TOM1 = Tourist Match - 1 day PSF = Pre-Season Friendly F = Floodlit Sky = Televised

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