Racking up the runs Down Under: Ian Cockbain blog
6 January 2015
While most of us shiver our way into 2015 Ian Cockbain has been on fire for Adelaide club side East Torrens.
The 27-year-old is spending the English winter training at the Darren Lehman Academy and playing in Grade cricket where he has been in scorching form, scoring more than 600 runs at an average of 123 across all formats.
In an environment notoriously hostile towards ‘poms’, Coey looked at home right from the off, making two centuries in his first two innings for the Reds without being dismissed.
After a break for Christmas, Ian is back in action this weekend when his side take on Woodville in the latest round of matches in the South Australian Cricket Association’s West End A Grade League.
To keep up to date with how Ian is getting on click here.
Below Ian gives us an insight into his winter life Down Under from taking on two Big Bash Academy teams to gruelly ‘SnakePit’ training sessions…
This winter I am based in Adelaide at the Darren Lehman Academy, a few of our guys have been on this program in previous years and it comes highly recommended.
I was a bit sceptical about going to Adelaide as I have spent six summers in Melbourne and the city hasn't had the best rap from Melbournians!
I am living right in the city centre which is an ideal situation as we have everything on our door step. We just hop on a tram or train to get to and from training. I am living with three other guys who play for different counties and they are great value to live with - never a dull moment as you can imagine!
A usual week consists of a two hour skills session with our specific coaches on Monday morning followed by a weight session in the afternoon. Tuesdays we have a fitness session, which is usually a running session. This is sometimes mixed up with the dreaded "Snakepit". This is a gruesome sand track which claims even the fittest of guys as victims. After this torture, we have to front up for a net session in the afternoon.
On Wednesdays we have a weight session in the morning followed by a competitive net in the afternoon. Thursdays it’s more fitness, sometimes mixed in with a few boxing sessions. I now have a new found respect for how fit those guys are!
Fridays are our light day, with a pilates class in the morning followed by a low impact CV (cardiovascular) session and on Saturdays we have our club games in the Adelaide District Comp.
We also had a three day trip to Sydney representing the Academy in a T20 tournament which I captained. This was good fun and we got play against the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder Academies, we won one and lost one of these games. Unfortunately our last game was cancelled due to the tragic loss of Phillip Hughes who played for my club.
Outside of cricket, I have spent a bit of time getting to see a bit of Adelaide and have been back to Melbourne over the Christmas break to catch up with some old friends.
All in all I am really enjoying the Academy and having a great time whilst doing it. I really think my game is improving and have been putting some good scores together which has been pleasing. Hopefully I get back and hit the floor running and it leads into a good start of the season where I can put some good scores on the board and take on the added responsibility of being a senior member of the Gloucestershire squad now.
I hope everybody back home is having a good winter, had a fantastic Christmas
All the best for the New Year,
Coey
