Nottinghamshire’s Mattew Carter is accompanying the England Performance Programme squad to the UAE in a net bowling capacity.
The teenage twirler, who took ten wickets on LV= County Championship debut against Somerset earlier this summer, is one of seven promising spinners making the trip, where they will work with former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.
As part of the EPP batting and spin group heading to Dubai, former Nottinghamshire spinner Vettori will be working with Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari, new Sussex signing Danny Briggs, Tom Westley of Essex and Stephen Parry of Lancashire.
Carter, together with Ravi Patel of Middlesex and Will Beer of Sussex have been added to the party as net bowlers.
Vettori, who took more than 700 wickets in international cricket and has already made a successful move into coaching with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Brisbane Heat, will join the EPP batting and spin group, led by Andy Flower, in Dubai for 10 days in November.
“Daniel has been one of the most successful and respected spinners in world cricket for almost two decades, so we are delighted to add his considerable experience to the England Performance Programme this winter,” said EPP Lead Spin Bowling coach Peter Such.
“I am sure that the players will benefit from working with him for the 10 days that he is with the EPP in November.”
A dozen more young spin bowlers will be heading overseas this winter, either with England’s Under-19s in Sri Lanka or on ECB led placements to Australia and New Zealand.
Four spinners have been included in the England U19s squad for a tri-series in Sri Lanka (also involving India) in December, as part of preparations for the ICC U19 World Cup next year: the Hampshire pair of Brad Taylor and Mason Crane, Max Holden of Middlesex and Durham’s Adam Hickey.
In a separate player placement scheme organised by the ECB, Durham’s more experienced leg-spinning all-rounder Scott Borthwick is travelling to Wellington in New Zealand. In addition to playing club cricket, Borthwick will practise and train with the Provincial side, which will allow him to be mentored by Warwickshire’s, and former New Zealand, off-spinner Jeetan Patel.
Across the Tasman, Warwickshire’s Josh Poysden, Kent’s Imran Qayyum and Glamorgan’s Andrew Salter have been placed in Sydney Grade Cricket. Jack Leach, who ended the season with 11 wickets in Somerset’s victory over Warwickshire in Taunton, has been placed in Perth.
Earlier in the development pathway, Sunny Singh (Warwickshire), Owen Morgan (Glamorgan) and Dominic Bess (Somerset) are spending the winter on the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide and playing in the Grade Competition in South Australia.
“The most important factor in a player’s development, particularly for spin bowlers, is match play overs to hone the skills and work out how to apply them effectively in game situations,” Such added. “There is no substitute for this.
“We are looking to expose our spinners to cricket overseas during the off season, for the experience of competing overseas, taking more personal responsibility and also to continue their development by bowling those much needed match play and practice overs.
“This is an extension of the work we already do with these young bowlers in partnership with the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust (BJMT), and the First-Class Counties and MCC Universities, which involves providing an experienced spin bowling coach to each County Academy and MCC University programme.”
The 2015 season has seen dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.