Where are Hampshire's future players coming from?

This is a question that is often asked within the Development Department at the Rose Bowl, and no doubt by supporters and members of Hampshire Cricket alike.

I am delighted to be able to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Development Department, and hopefully begin to answer this question for you!

The Hampshire Cricket Development Team is responsible for all areas of cricket development in the county. This work encompasses Primary and Secondary school cricket, club, district and county representative cricket, coach education, women's and girls' cricket, people with disabilities, groundsmanship and all other areas of cricket leading up to the first-class game.

As the Cricket Development Manager I lead the team and am responsible for the department and its activities. I am supported by Andy Hobday, Schools Development Officer; Clair Slaney, Women & Girls Development Officer; Alan Rowe, Clubs & Districts Development Officer; Raj Maru, Performance Development Officer; and Colin Savage, Secretary of the Hampshire Cricket Board.

With this team in place, it is an exciting time for the development of cricket in Hampshire. It is vital that we have a clear route for all players from the playground to the Rose Bowl, and then on to the Test arena. While it is important to ensure that our best young cricketers are given the opportunity to develop into first-class players through schools cricket, then on to club, district and county cricket, it is also vital that we begin to maintain the supply of young players into local clubs, as they are the future of the game itself.

To help this, an initiative was launched in January 2003 - the `Hildon Hawks Cricket Roadshow'. This is a project led by Andy Hobday that will hopefully visit 100 primary schools in the year, guaranteeing that nearly 8,000 children will receive cricket coaching, and supporting 250 teachers to be able to deliver further cricket sessions.

Linked to this project will be the formation of Primary School academies and the cementing of club/school links within the county. It is hoped that this exciting new project will revitalise the number of young cricketers joining local clubs and begin to ensure the future of club cricket in the county. It is also envisaged that through this Roadshow the bright young stars of Hampshire Cricket will be identified and developed to become future first-class players.

This is a brief insight into some of the work that takes place `behind the scenes' in development at Hampshire. If you would like any further information or would like to contribute to any of the work we do, please contact me at the Rose Bowl. Throughout the year we will keep supporters informed of development activity so that you can see exactly where the future players in Hampshire will hopefully come from!