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Dawson demands top club performances following 2015 draft

26 February 2015

Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson (pictured) has challenged his players to put in match-winning performances in club cricket following the 2015 draft.

Fourteen of the county’s professionals have been allocated to seven clubs in the West of England Premier League (WEPL) Premier 1 and 2 for the coming season.

Premier 1 champions Frocester will be able to call on the services of pacemen Liam Norwell and Matt Taylor as they bid to retain their title, while Premier 2 newboys Lechlade have chosen the pairing of seamer Craig Miles and offspinner Miles Hammond.

Fresh from winning the New Zealand domestic one-day competition, new signing Kieran Noema-Barnett has been snapped up by Cheltenham along with fellow allrounder Benny Howell.

Spin duo Tom Smith and Jack Taylor have been allocated to Thornbury while wicketkeepers Gareth Roderick and Cameron Herring will play at Keynsham. Downend opted for the fastbowling pair of James Fuller and Tom Hampton while Ian Cockbain and David Payne will join Bristol.

In addition Chris Dent, Will Tavare and Robbie Montgomery will play for Thornbury, Bristol and Bridgwater respectively as “homegrown” players (having played for the club for two years prior to signing a professional contract).

The squad were put into pairs by Dawson and selected by clubs in reverse order based on where they finished last season as in the draft system used in US sport.

Only one professional can play for a club each week and the new coach is keen that when they turn out they put in big performances.

He said: “Gloucestershire CCC is pleased to be supporting local cricket again through the draft system. We hope this will help improve the standard of club cricket and develop our players.

“When they play for their clubs I want them to be having a big influence on games and putting in match-winning performances.”

As in previous years Glos teams in the top two tiers of the West of England Premier League (WEPL) were involved in the draft as well as Bristol and Keynsham who were included based on their support for Gloucestershire Cricket.

Only one Glos professional can play for a club each week unless they are ‘homegrown’ and their appearances will be down to Dawson and his coaching staff based on fitness and county commitments.

Senior players, including skipper Geraint Jones, Hamish Marshall and overseas star Michael Klinger are not included in the draft. This year’s extended T20 and One Day competitions also mean that  due to workload it is unlikely that seam bowlers will bowl in club cricket and may play as batsmen instead.

Gloucestershire Cricket Board chief executive Steve Silk, who has helped put together the draft said that having a Glos pro should be seen as a bonus rather than a right.

He added: “Although clubs shouldn’t expect to have a pro each week,  the County Club are keen that their players play whenever possible. Having a professional in the team is fantastic for club sides as it raises the standard and provides a great role model for young players coming through.”

This year’s draft is being hailed as the most successful yet with four clubs getting their first choice pair and one other getting their second.

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