Dilley seeks new talent

Graham Dilley: Will be passing on his experience

The England and Wales Cricket Board has appointed five coaches to head its major initiative to nurture promising cricketers at specially designated centres of excellence around the country.

They will head the University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE), which will open in Autumn 2000.

They will support the existing pilot UCCE in Durham, currently run by former England and Lancashire batsmen Graeme Fowler.

Among the new coaches named is former England fast bowler Graham Dilley, who will be heading the Loughborough UCCE.

The centres at Bradford and Leeds, Cambridge, Cardiff and Glamorgan and Oxford will be led by Kevin Sharp, Kevin Lyons, Chris Scott and Graham Charlesworth.

The ECB is making a significant investment in the UCCE Scheme and I am confident that these coaches will ensure that the UCCE's develop a significant number of high quality male and female cricketers

ECB technical director Hugh Morris

The scheme, aimed at both male and female cricketers, has been developed by the ECB in an attempt to emulate the overwhelming success of the Australian Institute for Sport, currently headed by cricket coach Rodney Marsh.

The institute has generated a number of successful Australian test players including Shane Warne and Justin Langer.

Investment

The centres are designed to encourage promising young cricketers to go into further education and provide them with the best opportunities to develop their cricket whilst studying at university.

Hugh Morris

Hugh Morris, the ECB's technical director, believes that the new centres will benefit the development of prospective talent.

"The ECB is delighted that the Universities have been able to appoint such well qualified and high calibre coaches," said Morris.

"The ECB is making a significant investment in the UCCE Scheme and I am confident that these coaches will ensure that the UCCE's develop a significant number of high quality male and female cricketers."

The Durham UCCE has already produced current first class cricketers Andrew Strauss and Ben Hutton of Middlesex, as well as Robin Martin-Jenkins of Sussex.

NatWest have also announced a £450,000 cash injection as part of an on-going investment scheme to raise the profile of cricket at grass roots level.

Much of the financial aid will go to develop "Flicx" pitches, which are plastic pitches developed in South Africa enabling cricket to be played in inner city areas.