I have just returned from an afternoon at The County Ground, Hove, home of Sussex County Cricket Club. The place has a warmth even in mid-January. My hypothesis is that their success is because of the people and their love for the game and ability to engage others so well.
As a cricketer, Hove was one of my ‘lucky’ grounds. I scored my maiden County 2nd XI Century there (for Essex in 1984), and scored 347 runs at an average of 173.50 in First-Class innings (due to 8 not outs innings) on the ground! With a career avaerage of 30, this statistic suggests there were plenty of grounds where I managed an average of less than 10!!
The ground has changed considerably since I retired in 2003 but the homely character of the seafront ground remains. New stands, a brand new shop and offices, new pavilions for players and for members, a new Indoor School, and permanent floodlights bring the place up to the standard required for modern-day professional sport.
However, most importantly, they remain a people-focused club.
The highly-personable Dave Brooks is a modern Chief Executive. He combines a love for the game combined with a considerable business experience, having run much larger businesses in his professional life to date. Professional Cricket Manager Mark Robinson is one of the most popular and respected people in the modern game. Renowned for his effort, honesty and control as a former opening/first-change bowler with Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Sussex, he was regarded as a ‘Cricketer’s Cricketer’. His smooth transition from playing to coaching as Peter Moores’ succcessor has surpassed the expectations of many. ‘Robbo’ is a determined and ambitious individual who could be destined for greater things one day, especially if Sussex continue to achieve in the coming years.
I bumped into three of Robbo’s loyal assistants today, as both Keith ‘Grubby’ Greenfield and former spinner Mark Davis were in the Indoor School working with the next generation of Sussex professionals, along with the energetic Fielding Coach Carl Hopkinson who is about to embaark on a team coaching role with Sussex 2nd XI in 2012 . All three are dedicated Cricket people and view a career in the game as a privilege not a right. I also saw the personable Jerry Heath, a former Sussex batsman too, and a coach of the Sussex age group teams who is loving putting his time and experience back into the game after a period working in another industry after his playing career ended in the mid 1980′s. Sussex like to keep it in the family.
Robinson and Davis, in particular, have both been very influential in helping Monty Panesar re-discover his form and confidence by allowing him to play a leading role, and providing the support off the field which is vital in helping a new player settling in to a new team and club. Monty and Matt Prior may be a long way from Hove right now as they seek a victory for England in Abu Dhabi in the 2nd Test v Pakistan, but I bet both of them are in touch with the Club on a regular basis as the link between the Sussex players and coaches is a strong one.
I also observed some of their younger charges hard at work today, and thought young Callum Jackson looks a wicket-keepr/batsman of immense promise based on the small snapshot I gained today. I am aware of the considerable work former Sussex Captain Alan Wells has put in with him at St Bede’s College along with several other gifted young players. It would appear that Wells’ contribution to Sussex could end up being greater than his immense commitment as a player over the twenty years he graced the county’s colours. If the production line of gifted players from his school continues, Sussex could end up being regarded as the Ajax of Amsterdam or FC Barcelona of English Cricket. Organic growth must be the the way forward.
What is it about Sussex and their ability to develop Wicket-keeper/batsmen? Is it the sea air or is it the legacy of Peter Moores?
When Peter was Sussex Coach he transformed the whole coaching programme and worked with the age-group teams himself as well as the professional playing staff. Cricket coaching knows fewer people with so much enthusiasm and passion as the former England Coach. He led a big turnaround in Sussex’s fortunes after former player Tony Pigott insitigated a vote of no confidence in the old committee and provided the catalyst for Sussex to become the successful Club it is today.
Today, was a special day for additional reasons. I took a very promising young cricketer, Billy Rogers, of Finchampstead CC, London County Colts and Berkshire Under 14′s, to select a new bat from Newbery for his upcoming 14th birthday.
We were hosted by Newbery Managing Director Neil Lenham, the former Sussex batsman. Neil and I are the same age and played a host of cricket matches against each other as schoolboys and became teammates with England Young Cricketers on Tour to West Indies in 1985. Neil was Captain, and an exceptional player at youth level, who, but for regular finger injuries may have developed into a top-class batsman for England. Instead he contented himself with a highly successful career with his beloved Sussex, the club his father Les, also represented in the 1960′s. Such family links are not uncommon, as former Captain Alan Wells’ son Luke is now excelling as a promising top order batsman for the south coast club, following in the footsteps of his father and also his Uncle, Colin Wells.
Neil looked after young Billy superbly today and spoke with real passion about cricket bats and the craft of Newbery as a bespoke bat-maker. His love for the game almost matches that possessed by his father, who has been one of the legends of cricket coaching in England since 1970. Les is still coaching the art of batting to the professionals and schoolboys in Sussex with his rare mix of gentle encouragement and deep technical knowledge. I remember going on NCA ‘South of England’ coaching courses with Les as the Head Coach when I was a 12 year-old full of dreams about a possible career in the game. To be coached by Les and his fellow Sussex & England colleague Don Smith along with Middlesex Legend Jack Robertson and Leicestershire’s Maurice Hallam was a privilege. The memories are vivid, even today.
Les used to insist we carried the bat in our top hand at all times and was a stickler for discipline, and always immaculate in his dress. He loved talking about the game and purred about some of theg reat batsmen especially those he knew well such as Ted Dexter, a Sussex and England legend.
When we left the Newbery bat-making area and made our way up to the Sussex Indoor School for a rare opportunity to practice alongside young professionals, Billy was beaming from ear to ear. New bat, new gloves, new pads and the chance to bat against the bowling machine in front of Sussex’s professional coaches. He was buzzing!
Personally, it made me feel that despite being his Coach, I wanted to turn back the clock (be 13) and live my life as a cricketer all over again! What a privilege it is to play such a great game where so many people quality people inter-act and genuinely care about their sport. It is a profession, but it is also vocational for so many.
From the Langridge brothers through to the Parks and Lenham father and son, the Greig brothers and the Wells brothers, Sussex remains the most homely of Clubs. It was a pleasure to be in the company of my former England Young Cricketers Captsain and see him still excited about the game and Sussex Cricket. He was off to see his father in the evening and no doubt the subject of batting and Sussex’s prospects for 2012 and beyond will be on the agenda over a glass of something special.
Long may Sussex continue to stay true to such values of being a family, and a person-centred organisation. English sport needs living, breathing examples of ‘community clubs’ who enjoy ‘all-round’ success.
