Will Excited About First Season At County Ground
4 April 2014
Will Tavare has been speaking of his excitement at starting the new season as a county cricketer.
The 23-year-old nephew of former Kent, Somerset and England batsman Chris Tavare signed a one-year contract with Gloucestershire after impressing in the second XI last summer.
Now Will, who top-scored with 69 in the two-day friendly against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last week, is determined to press claims for a first team place.
He told this website: “Having grown up in Bristol, I have always wanted to ply my trade with Gloucestershire, so I am very excited about the season ahead.
“I played my first adult game for Bristol Cricket Club when I was nine. To finally get a contract with the county was the proudest moment of my career so far.
“Now I have a season to impress. It’s a great time to have joined Gloucestershire because a lot of the young players have matured and the ground development is very exciting too.
“Just listening to a coach like John Bracewell and training with the likes of Alex Gidman and Hamish Marshall has been fantastic for me.
“Along with going to Australia for the last couple of winters, it has been a steep learning curve and I just can’t wait for the season to start.
“First team cricket as soon as possible has to be the aim. I am really focussed on what I have to do to bring that about and training has been top drawer.
“We have excellent competition for places in all departments and I believe everything is geared to achieving success.”
Will has spent the last two winters playing grade cricket in Australia and his most recent experiences there have seen him mature as a cricketer.
He explained: “It was a really good standard out in Melbourne. I wasn’t with a top team, but it was a good young set-up with some players of great potential.
“It was my second year with them this winter and I was made skipper four or five weeks into the season, which was really pleasing for me.
“I had captained Gloucestershire second XI last season, but prior to that had no real experience of leading a side. Now it is something I would like to do again in future.
“My one-day game took massive strides forward during the winter, although overall I didn’t get as many runs as I would have liked in the longer format.
“There were no easy days as captain or batsman and I feel I learned a huge amount. I have grown up a lot as a result of some tough experiences.”
Will is too young to remember much about his uncle’s playing days, but did appear in one match with Chris.
“It was when I was about 11 or 12. I got a duck, which was pretty disappointing, while he smashed it everywhere.
“I think it was the last game he ever played. My dad played for Gloucestershire second XI and won the University Championship with Bristol University, so there is lot to live up to.”
Will, who hit three centuries for Gloucestershire IIs last summer, has taken up off-spin bowling and as captain of his Australian team was able to put himself on when required.
“It is something I hope to develop,” he said. “Tom Smith has been helping me, but I am a long way off being ready to bowl in county cricket at the moment."
