Wiltshire's Emerging Player Group for 2019 is announced

During November and December, coaches from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire have delivered 3 x batting, seam bowling and spin bowling skillset sessions with the players attending each having been nominated to do so by their respective county age group coaches. This has been the first initiative as part of the new talent pathway partnership with Gloucestershire Cricket.

Following the completion of this skillset programme, coaches from both counties, which have included Tim Hancock, Mark Thorburn and Tom Smith from Gloucestershire, and Dale Bowler, Owen Alsop, Jon Williams and Paul Stoddard from Wiltshire, have made their selections for those players that will form the Wiltshire Emerging Player Group for 2019. Those players can be seen below:

The players above will now commence a weekly programme of intensive and personalised coaching in the new year and will also receive a Strength and Conditioing programme from Gloucestershire's S&C Coach, Ollie Hunt, throughout the duration of the programme. This is an exciting new addition for 2019.

Whilst great news for the players above, who are taken from the county boys under 13s to under 17s squads, the message to other players is to keep working hard. Within the EPP sessions, players can be invited on an ad-hoc basis if they are performing well within their own winter coaching programmes. The nature of Wiltshire's support from Gloucestershire means that a variety of Gloucestershire coaches will be supporting the programme meaing that when specialists some in it could mean additional players from within thse skillsets being invited.

Best wishes to all of the players listed above.