CricInfo user wins NatWest coaching with Darren Gough

CricInfo user, Fraser Young, 14, from Staines, England has won a once in a lifetime opportunity - a NatWest coaching session with England fast bowler and NatWest Ambassador, Darren 'Dazzler' Gough. Fraser, who plays cricket for Staines and Laleham CC, will have the opportunity to improve his cricketing skills through Darren's expert coaching.

Fraser and a friend will be joined by 18 other youngsters, all of whom won their place in NatWest competitions run through media outlets across the country.

Woodlands Cricket Club, near Bradford will play host to Darren Gough and his twenty protégés this Sunday (9th September). The winners, all of varying abilities will spend the afternoon benefiting from Darren's advice and expertise in both bowling, batting and fielding.

Abi Searle, Sponsorship Manager, NatWest said, "Young players are fundamental to the success and future of the game and we are delighted to give them the opportunity to experience and benefit from the skills of our Ambassador, Darren Gough, who plays a vital role in promoting the game at both international and grassroots level."

Over the duration of their sponsorship of The NatWest Series, NatWest have invested £450,000 into grassroots cricket to help encourage and develop the interest of cricket at a junior level. The central part of the programme is the 'Get Involved' campaign, launched last week which aims to encourage 10,000 parents and volunteers to become integral to the development of cricket club junior sections by 2005.

In addition to this, NatWest will be providing 400 all weather turf-free NatWest flicx pitches and 10,000 practice skills balls to cricket clubs across the country over the next two years.

NatWest, now part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, has been a major sponsor of cricket since 1981 when the bank began 20 years of sponsorship of The NatWest Trophy. In 2000, following a successful sponsorship of the 1999 Cricket World Cup, NatWest become the first title sponsor of the new international, one day triangular competition, The NatWest Series.