University cricketers shine

Date released: 25 September 2009

Two MCC University cricketers, Matthew Spriegel and Tom Westley, have hit their maiden first-class centuries within a day of each other.

Westley, who will shortly begin his second year at Durham University, hit 132 today for Essex against Derbyshire in their LV County Championship match.

Spriegel, who graduated this summer from Loughborough University, scored exactly 100 yesterday for Surrey against Glamorgan. Spriegel’s Loughborough and Surrey team-mate, Arun Harinath, also scored 57 in the same innings.

Matthew Spriegel in action for Surrey Spriegel has combined his Sport and Exercise Science studies with his cricket at Loughborough MCC University and Surrey County Cricket Club for three years.

In that time, his all-round credentials as a left-hand batsman and off-spin bowler has resulted in him becoming a regular in the county team in all forms of the game.

His late-season form with the bat will ensure that he leaves Loughborough University with both a degree and another contract with his county employers.

Westley in big-scoring form for Essex Tom Westley, a former England Under-19 captain, will finish the county season and head straight back to Durham University, where's he's studying for a BA in Sport, to work on his game with Durham Head Coach Graeme Fowler.

Fowler, the former Lancashire and England opening batsman, has been Head Coach at the MCC University Centre of Cricket Excellence since its inception in 2000.

He has helped to develop the games of England captain Andrew Strauss, Essex and England wicket-keeper James Foster and the championship-winning Durham captain, Will Smith.

Fowler maintains good links with Essex County Cricket Club and he believes that the two cricket environments can make for a better player:

"Essex are a forward-thinking club who encourage their players to get qualifications and increase their options away from the game.

"The education guys like Tom get at Durham goes beyond a degree - they get to think for themselves and mature as a person and a cricketer.

A degree better: Ashes-winner Andrew Strauss "It’s no coincidence that in Andrew Strauss, Will Smith, Mark Chilton, Luke Sutton and Ben Hutton, we have produced five county captains in recent years."

Fowler is particularly impressed with Westley’s abilities: "Tom is an intelligent man with a good cricket brain. He’s definitely got something about him - with a bit of luck and a fair wind, he’ll play for England."

Westley himself is appreciative of both his county club environment and university set-up: "Essex is a very friendly, welcoming club and I’m lucky that they’ve always given young cricketers an opportunity to impress.

"It’s also brilliant to work with Foxy (Fowler) at Durham who has really helped me progress.

"I’ve always wanted to play cricket professionally, hopefully one day for England, but injuries can and do happen in the game, so I wanted to get a degree to fall back on.

"In playing MCC Universities and county championship cricket for Durham and Essex, I have a perfect opportunity to develop my all-round game."