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    Taylor heads to South Africa with ECB Pace Programme

    31 January 2017

    Matt Taylor has left the cold conditions of Bristol to join up with England Cricket's Pace Programme in South Africa.

    Taylor will be joined on the the ECB programme alongside ex Gloucestershire team-mate James Fuller and six other young fast bowlers from various counties.

    Paul Coughlin, George Garton, Saqib Mahmood are some of the other county bowlers who will join Taylor in the two-week training camp at the High Performance Institute for Sport at North West University’s Potchefstroom campus.

    Taylor said "I am delighted that I have got the opportunity to go and train in Potchefstroom, South Africa with the England pace programme. I can only see it benefiting me in my preparations for the coming season with Gloucestershire. I'm sure it will be a great 2 weeks and I can't wait to get out there."

    Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead fast-bowling coach, said: “The chance to come out and work with us outside in South Africa in the superb facilities in Potchefstroom works well both for the players and their counties.

    “For the guys, they’re working towards the start of the county season – and with counties tending to go away earlier to start their pre-season programmes now, the time on the Pace Programme will help to ensure they hit them well-prepared.”

    The Pace Programme has been running since 31 October, with the bowlers splitting their time between their counties and the Performance Centre in a six-week training block.

    Shine developed the programme – previously called the Potential England Performance Programme – more than a decade ago. “The aim is to reinforce the physical and technical foundations required for international fast bowling,” he explained.

    Pace Programme – January/February 2017

    Paul Coughlin (Durham)
    James Fuller (Middlesex)
    George Garton (Sussex)
    Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
    Jamie Overton (Somerset)
    Matt Taylor (Gloucestershire)
    Reece Topley (Hampshire)
    Mark Wood (Durham)

    Watch Matt Taylor in action in 2017 with a Gloucestershire Cricket membership. Click here to join.

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