YCs hone spin skills in India

Date released: 6 January 2009

MCC’s Young Cricketers (YCs) are developing their skills against spin-bowling at a prestigious cricket academy in the country most famed for producing great players of spin - India.

Anil Kumble: Learned his trade in Bangalore Six YCs: Ian Cockbain; Michael Richardson; Luke Beaven; Steph Davies; and new recruits Gaurav Dhar and Jenny Halstead - alongside MCC YC coach Mark Wright have travelled to Bangalore to train at the Global Cricket School.

Bangalore is the hometown of India’s most prolific spinner, Anil Kumble, who took 619 Test wickets, and the School has seen numerous international and county sides visit in the two years it has been operating.

The Global Cricket School provides top coaches as well as a large supply of top local spinners to bowl at the MCC youngsters for hours on end. They will train at the school for ten days.

Radley, coaching in Mumbai on a previous trip with the YCs Clive Radley, MCC’s Head Coach, explained: "We have been taking YCs over to India to learn about spin for several years and it is a wonderful education for them.

"To play intensively against high quality local spinners and on dry turning pitches gives them an experience they cannot get in England. We hope to reap the benefits in our matches this year."

The MCC YCs will play in the Northern Division of the 2nd XI County Championship in 2009.