Cook retains place on Essex Academy

Joanne Cook has retained her place on the Essex Academy. Cook, 17, was the third female player to be invited on to Essex's Academy when she was drafted in last year, following in the footsteps of Alexis Mannion and Beth Wild.

Allrounder Cook is a top-order batsman as well as a medium pacer. She made great progress during the 2007 season, scoring two centuries for the Essex women's team and was also in the wickets for the London and East Region Under-19 team in the Junior Super Fours competition - a team she also captained.

Cook's development earned her selection for this year's Super Fours, for Emeralds, and she now has her sights sets on making further progress in the months ahead.

"I'll be training hard this winter at the Essex Academy and with my Under-19 Regional side," Cook told Cricinfo. "My next aim is to make the England Under-19 Academy, which trains at Loughborough. I feel like I'm close to getting into it because I've been given the extra responsibility of captaining my regional side and if I keep working hard it should come.

"My long-term goal is to play for England women. I need to keep pushing myself to achieve that and I'm sure being part of the Academy at Essex will benefit that."

Despite being the only female among an intake of nine at the newly-titled Graham Gooch Essex Cricket Academy (Gooch will be providing funds of £30,000 a year to support the Academy) the self-assured Cook does not feel undue responsibility to prove himself among her contemporaries.

She explained: "I do in some ways - because the younger girls look up to me - but not in other ways because I've been playing cricket with boys from the age of eight so I feel comfortable with them. I was the only girl playing in junior teams at Ilford until the Under-15s before we went our separate ways."

Cook, who plies her club cricket with Ardleigh Green men (2nd XI) and Loughton Ladies, readily acknowledges being part of the Academy has advanced her progress.

"It's benefited me a lot. Training is a lot more intense with the boys so when I come back to women's cricket it makes a difference. In particular I would say my fielding has improved most of all. Whereas I am always on the ball - thanks to the extra training - some of the girls can be a bit lax. Boys push you more to improve your game."

Academy Director John Childs was suitably impressed by Cook's efforts last summer to reward her with a second year on the programme.

With one Cook - Alastair - having already graduated from the Essex Academy to gain international honours, fingers are crossed that Joanne will soon follow suit.