Yoga Revolution in Loughborough!(and thinking outside the box)

WOW! Well that was an Experience. England Seniors Cricket Training Went ahead last w/end and it was Something of a Revelation.From my perspective at least!

First of all we must thank the Management of England Cricket Seniors for Creating the opportunity for the Whole of the England Seniors(60+)Squad.To use this state of the art facility at Loughborough Elite training Centre.The University Campus where both the Great and the Good of the English Cricket World have all trained and been put through their paces and training skills development. That, alongside the Elite athletes from Athletics and Hockey and i am sure other sports as well.It truly is a remarkable facility to be invited into for us to use and experience.

Alongside this opportunity we were also to work with one of the country’s foremost Fielding Coaches in Cricket ‘Cookie’ Patel

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiO3N6q6uD9AhUNRkEAHbEkDcoQFnoECA0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fieldingcoaching.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw37S0M_oHSu2Syij7Mi7D-i

Cookie took on board that we as a group are all in our 60’s and still treated us like sportsmen who have more to learn and improve on. Once ‘on the ice’ Cookies word for the Field of play.We were on it. In other words this work was serious.The objectives for our training was simple.To improve our chances of Winning Next Years World cup in India. We would need to up our game and in particular Work on our Fielding Skills and Fitness in order to deliver those skills and perhaps make the difference between Winning and losing.Fine margins but if we as a squad would up our game by just 1% that would be 30% collectively!

To enhance further and to Introduce the possibility of challenging our fitness levels towards this end. We were also Introduced to the discipline of Yoga.One of the current ‘Squad’ players had suggested the idea of Yoga ‘for all’ In ther feedback after the recent Carib Cup success in Barbados. I think his point, made at the squad meeting and prior to this w/ends training.Was that if there are small margins and percentages to be gained through Individual training and fitness, we should take that opportunity on towards meeting the objectives of England cricket Seniors. ie a World Cup Victory in India.It may sound like sacrifice but is it not actually the idea of still improving and extending our ability’s to play the game we love?

I thought it was brave of the Management to present the twin concepts of fitness and fielding as the critical areas of development needed to meet the Objectives for us as a group going forward.

It would be interesting to know what the other guy’s made of, not only the Intro too Yoga but also the idea that we can still improve our games and in particular our fitness and awareness for fielding.

Personally speaking I have been involved in regular Yoga classes for more than 10 years now and even prior to that I was mindful of doing stretching and keeping the body as supple as possible in order to continue enjoying the sport i love. I have also always prided myself on my mobility in fielding and running between the wickets so this has been significant to me in being able to still enjoy and compete both physically and mentally on the cricket field.

I appreciate that this is a discussion which will have varying perspectives but overall I think that any form of exercise whether physical or mental can only enhance and improve everyones longevity.Be it in Cricket or Life itself.

This w/end has given the lie to the fact that we are still all playing the game at 60+ and may yet be playing for longer than we had ever dared to imagined.Perhaps Yoga is part of the Revolution which may make this possibility a reality! No doubt time will tell.Roll on the Season and see how we all go again.Bring your body’s with you.

Cheers to all JB115

Richard and his Merrymen!

Well Guys and Ladies, here was the Moment when England Seniors were about to receive the 2023 Big Man Carib cup Trophy from Tournament Organisers in the presence of our supporters following us both physically and Virtually!

It may just be a screen shot but it is good to recall just how magical it felt for us all having gone through a two week Competition where each game felt like a Final(after our initial defeat to the Aussies).To come through this together as a Squad and Team was testament to the efforts of all of us to stick together through thick and thin and come out as Trophy Winners!

Richard Merriman our Captain alluded to this during his Winning Capt’s speech. Thanking us all for sticking with the process and coming through it together and hopefully closer for it.Naturally there were teething problems along the way but all things considered we all cracked on with getting along despite any differences of opinions we may have had along the way.And ultimately the Good overcame the bad and as a cricket team and squad we got the job done and the Prize Won!

The reflection process is under way now too and we will surely be able to discuss what can be improved on as well as what we have achieved Collectively.

Ultimately it has been a great journey together as an England Seniors Squad and we will all have memories to savour for the rest of our playing day’s and beyond.This trip and collective experience has been memorable in many ways and perhaps none greater than the Moment that Chris Dearden bowled the final Australian Batsman to Win the Final ay the Kensington Oval,Bridgetown.The moment when the Big Smiles broke out and everyone present had a collective glow amongst us.

Richard was gracious and honouring our opponents Australia in the final Speech and also recognised the Sponsors of the Tournament and all of our supporters who either travelled or were picked up along the way!

Gracious in defeat the Aussie capt Mr Higgins.Awarded Ed Gordon-Lennox the MOM for his fine match Winning Knock of 74.also mentioning KevGrant for his opening 50 and not least John Goldthorp for a great performance with the Gloves (John confided to me that he had even surprised himself on viewing back the You tube highlights!)The Commentators also sung JG’s praises regarding his performance.So big up to John.

The Bowlers all got a mention as well Not just the three main Wicket takes,CD,JP&JB but also Rupert and Jason who set up a difficult afternoon for the Aussie batsmen by bowling tight spells up front.

Neil Brathwaite and Martin Watkin were singled out for their fielding and my personal favourite moment was when Our long(or should it be tall) suffering Sub Tony Rhodes plucked a terrific catch out of thin air to take out the Aussies last great hope of keeping them in the contest. TR then most inexplicably let a couple of balls pass through his legs and then be fooled by the sideways spin of another ball which deviated wickedly on pitching in the outfield.I was greatly amused but Tony seems non plussed by the bounce of the balls.The damage had been done however with that Catch so all was forgiven, if it needed to be!

Finally we need to thanks the Organisers of this wonderful tournament.We as 60+ cricketers are very blessed to be able to play in these Tournaments. Arranged for us both home and away.It is a rare privilege to be asked to play for our country’s and i think to a player, everyone involved from all of the participating teams will have felt honoured to have participated in such a well organised and advertised event.

Some of the Sponsors are mentioned on the screen shot above.Including the Drink sponsors Blue Waters who also provided a great Malt tonic drink.Stonehill our Kit Sponsors should be mentioned too for providing all of our match and training Kit, as well as a rucksack for all of the squad and management plus Extras too.So Big thanks to them.

The England Seniors management team and selection committee should also received a huge thanks from the players for arranging the Tour from our side and making all of this possible too.Thank you Paul Bradley and Richard Merriman in particular.It cannot of been easy to deal with a Squad of 60+year olds on tour together for the first time! You did remarkably to keep that together.

So looking forward to our Summer encounters with the Aussies again.I am sure all members of the current Squad would love to be involved and our journey forward will start Next W/end at Loughborough elite sports centre.For our Next Squad get together.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone involved there and ahead to the summer series.

Cheers everyone, see you there! JB115

The Kent Connection at the Big Man Carib Cup

Well I couldn’t let this go. As naturally I and my other two Kent Seniors Colleagues were delighted to be Contributing to the England Seniors success in The Big Man Caribbean Cup.

Senior Pro’s Rupert Staple and Jim Phillips pictured here along with myself, after our round robin Victory over the Rest of the World eleven.This was a critical Victory and set us up for a head to head knock game with the West Indies for a place in the Final.

Rupert, Jim and I had had a particularly memorable Season with Kent Seniors until losing out to Essex in the County knock out Semi Finals back in September 2022.

All three of us had been invited for England trial’s after nominations from our Kent capt Chris Tarrant back in the summer.After making the Cut for the Squad of 33 we were then selected for the Tour Squad of 16 by the Selectors.

We were Individually contacted to Invite us to join the Carib Cup Tour and the prelude to this was our training camp at Loughborough elite sports centre before Christmas. It was good to know that there would be County Colleagues to share the trip with and indeed we were employed in a similar way for England as we have been for Kent. Especially in a bowling capacity.It helps being familiar with County Colleague’s when fielding and bowling together.It relaxes the process to see a familiar colleague bowling in unison.

As well as being happy with our collective familiarity it also made for good interaction with players from the other counties, which we have played against in recent seasons. Always a bit of banter with our Essex ‘rivals’ naturally and although we haven’t played against Lancashire or Yorkshire in recent times there is always a bit of fun to be had in discussing old encounters! Same with the Midland Counties players like Derbyshire who were represented by Capt Richard Merriman and medium pacer and allrounder Jason Caunt. During the county knock out games we will likely come up against more Midland and Northern Counties in the latter stages.I would like to say that there was total respect amongst all the Squad members attending the training days and it was a great opportunity to get to know the guys off the field in a mutually respectful atmosphere.

The organisation of the training was particularly engaging for us in getting to know each other, in more personal ways to, which created a sense of togetherness and harmony toward the Tour ahead.

Back to The Kent connection.I really wanted to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to our Loyal Travelling Supporter’s from Kent as well!

Keith, Jeff, Kev, Steve, Margie, Cathy and Nick and Jim’s better half,Jill all made the trip for various stages or all of the Tournament and leant great support to us throughout! We also had a ‘Local Kent Supporter’ in Hendy Carrington who had spent 30 Years at Kent Club Lordswood, before retiring back to Barbados approx 20 years ago. Hendy also came to all of our games and also mixed with the Kent Contingent of supporters and players.I am not suggesting that having these supporter’s with us separated allegiance to the Kent players but that it was particularly special to have this core group along with us on our way to the final.It was a particular delight that we managed to get to the Final and that the supporters were there with us to enjoy the occasion.

Whether men or women of Kent or Kentish Men or Women doesn’t matter on this occasion as all were with us and we were all England on this occasion.Thanks all for following us and for all those supporters back home who followed our Games and progress on You tube.Some ball by ball and all with great enthusiasm according to the dispatches which i received from home.During our trip.

Let’s do it all again this Summer when the Aussies come to town again.This time to play a five Match one day series for the ‘Grey Ashes’.This surely will be another Great Summer of Cricket around with some great Cricket grounds to visit too.

Watch this space for the Itinerary details! all Ashes matches will take place in July.

Until then one more BIG thanks to all of you from Kent who came to support the England Seniors Cricket Team in their successful Victory in the Carib Cup this February.

Cheers,JB(Butters)115