DAWSON REFLECTS ON SEASON OF CONTRASTS
30 September 2016
Head Coach Richard Dawson will work just as hard through the winter as he has since the Championship season began in April to ensure Gloucestershire are prepared as well as possible for the 2017 season, whatever format that may take.
As discussions continue about the long term one day formats in particular - and with one broadsheet correspondent referring to Dawson as one of the brightest young coaches in the country - the 36 year old former England spinner has already mapped out his winter schedule.
"It's pretty much 24/7 for 12 months of the year" he said. "As a support staff to the players, a huge effort is put in, and we're always working out how we can improve the lads and how we can improve ourselves in what we do. It's a job that is never finished."
Gloucestershire again finished 6th in Division 2 - albeit with more points than in 2015 - while in white ball cricket there was no repeat of last year's success in the Royal London One-Day Cup, although the team did reach the T20 quarter finals for the first time since 2012.
"In a perfect world we set out to get to the knockout stages of both limited overs competitions"
Dawson went on. "We did that in one but we didn't play very well in the other and we have to hold our hands up to that. We didn't kick on in the T20 quarter final but we had played some good cricket to that point with a lot of people performing, especially Ian Cockbain with the bat and Matt Taylor with the ball. He was exceptional."
"From a four day point of view we wanted to improve on last year and we knew it would be hard to push for promotion with there only being one spot available. We got half way through in a very good position and then tailed off towards the end, so as a team we've ticked some boxes and not others."
Following on from the 2015 season, Dawson was happier with Gloucestershire's cricket at home. Only one Championship game was lost at Bristol, and at the Cheltenham Festival there were wins in all three competitions.
"Whether it's been a good or a bad day you look at the positives in the individual performances, and that's what keeps you going" he reflected.."
"Chris Dent got 1,000 Championship runs. Graeme Van Buuren has shown he can perform at this level, and George Hankins has had a taste of first team cricket. Hopefully after making his maiden hundred at Northampton he can kick on from that. David Payne's red ball cricket has come on a lot this season, Craig Miles got 50 Championship wickets and Liam Norwell has again proved to be an outstanding bowler."
The inevitable questions now come up regarding recruitment, with Hamish Marshall heading back to New Zealand and Michael Klinger only playing one day cricket.
"We will look at loan signings again next year, but equally there are people in the squad who know there are areas that they can fill" Dawson said, with some conviction."What we have is a group of young men who are playing good cricket and we want to keep them here. The hard yards have been done and it's now about seeing it through to fruition."
"Several of the boys - George Hankins, Ian Cockbain, Gareth Roderick and Miles Hammond - will be playing abroad this winter. We tend to keep the bowlers back, especially after a long season. We'll wait and see what happens with the ECB discussions and then when the calendar is out we'll put a plan together and be prepared to roll with the punches again."
