Under 13's coach reports on South African tour

Pete Sanderson the Somerset Under 13's coach has recently returned from the team's tour to South Africa and has submitted the following report on the experience.

'The trip, as you would expect, was a tremendous experience and the players who went will have learnt many lessons that will help them in the future.

The main lessons that should be take from the tour are:

2. Having a fuller understanding of what advantages achieving No.1 gives individuals and the team: i Pressure on batsman ii Plan how to get wickets iii.Set Fields to a strategy rather than trying to cover both sides on the pitch e.g. Somerset 5:4 split with fielders, S.A. 6:3

3. Fitness levels required to play cricket day after day in hot conditions. Naturally the South Africans looked more athletic, and this is not surprising when you see that their school day ends at 2.30pm and then it is sports everyday for those that desire to play.

4. The ability to adapt to different areas of batting, this is shown particularly with their backfoot play where they force, cut and pull very aggressively and the use of feet when playing spin whether that be using the crease or moving down pitch.

5. Mental approach to all matches and not looking for excuses and the easy way out. With the day/night match in the middle of the week this definitely had an effect on the two following performances, mental highlight and comprehensive win and energy wise later finish which had effect on preparation. The last performance lacked life and desire for most, we need more of the Tiger Woods mentality, who the day after finished his latest winning round after suffering from food poisoning.

Overall View

As with any trip to foreign lands there are highlights and a trip should not be judged on results but what the players have learnt. This may not become apparent until later in their cricketing futures.

Having also taken an older group to Australia last year this was a definite benefit despite losing all the matches, with 3 players making trip back this winter to carry on their development, one of which was successful with England U-19s. I am not sure the benefits are as high at this age depending on the maturity of the individuals as the differential between it being a cricket tour and a holiday was at times difficult for the players to establish.

From a competing perspective I thought we matched them individually but not as a team. Fortunately this is not a criteria for Somerset youth cricket as number one priority is developing players. In my opinion, this was purely due to the amount of time they have together as a team in matches and practice (including middle, net and drill work).

This obviously develops their tactical awareness and a knowledge of what their role's are within the team, this will be partly readdressed by an increase in our outdoor practice but this will be a drop in the ocean in comparison. The amount of possible outdoor work is limited due to the short intensive nature of our player's summer programmes at the various levels.

The day/night may have opened up ideas for using outdoor astro pitches for improved tactical work outside of the summer and fortunately for our best players the academy programme is heightening their tactical awareness but it is good to give them a better grounding before they get involved with this.

There is a proposal for this to become an annual event. Even though it is obviously a tremendous experience I think if we are to continue coming on this trip we need to guarantee that it is self-financing and we would need to review the staffing arrangements particularly at this period in the season as well as looking at the overall benefit to players of this age group.

Thanks Pete for sending this report and also for sending match reports back from South Africa.

I am sure that web site readers will be keen to follow the way that the Under 13's fare this coming season and also in the future.