Tour Brochure nearly complete!

Today a tribute to the hard-working Liv Davidson, sister of demon swing bowler and dashing top order batsman, Will (the "angelic one") Davidson. Liv has almost single handledly compiled, collated, formatted and re-formatted in Word, pdf, lbw and all sorts of other formats and fonts the Tour Brochure. A final draft was at the Old Trafford session on Sunday and very impressive it looked too - Liv has done an amazing job and has managed to fit all this in whilst revising (......like, yeah, as if.......!) for the much less important matter of her GCSEs!

Thanks to Liv from everyone involved in the Tour. The sponsors will be very impressed with their presence in the Brochure, whether they receive a printed copy or a CD version.

Depending on file size I will post the Brochure (or as much as I can!) on here asap!

Liv Davs takes a nap after finishing a 3rd re-draft of

page 703 of the Brochure - yet another sponsor for Lewis Wright!

Feedback from The Gaffer!

Like a bad penny he did turn up! Apparently it's the net session on the 10th (D-Day minus 1) that he won't be here (whilst the cat's away?????), so the lads were put through another one of Dave Leighton's tough sessions but it's all part of their development as County standard cricketers and they'll see the benefits in the season ahead!

Here are Coach Leighton's thoughts on today's session at Old Trafford HQ - these notes arrived within 4 hours of the session ending so thanks to Dave for his committment to the lads and to the Barbados Tour. I know Dave is big on the value of communication so big raps to him for taking up part of his Sunday evening to get these thoughts over to me:

Another training session completed and injuries assessed (not just with the players but the parents!!). I can understand football injuries from u/13s, but over 40s?? You do have to wonder!! Not so lucky, Phil!!

The boys once again worked hard with mental tests, tests of character and learning to work things out for themselves. Dominic and Chris were asked to hit as many boundaries as they could from seamers and spinners alike. After an hour they had been tested physically and mentally. They will know whether they worked out the best method for themselves (having been given a little guidance after 10 mins). The objectives for the bowlers was to learn to bowl deliveries that take wickets or stop runs in those situations - e.g. variety of pace, using different angles, bowling yorkers, varying the flight and making the batsman feel out of control. The rest of the players helped each other with a range of back foot play, glances, defending, pull shots, hook shots, square cuts and forcing the ball off the back foot. The objective here was to spend an hour playing off the back foot the shots of their own choice, based on their own understanding of the strokes they play well and not so well. Good technique and balance were the key to successful execution  assuming the "serves" were somewhere near. More throwing practice required me thinks!!

The second part of the session was a running net (for those without injuries). Messrs Wright and Brownlow look like dodgy umpires to me. Dom bowled some deliveries that were more akin to the pies on Bury market!! Sam looks more like his old self and the boys were kind on their new coach JP (despite his accent).

The final 20 mins were focused on a variety of close catches  - 2 handed and 1 handed and I did Shaun with a beauty that spun of the surface!!

2 weeks to Barbados and the boys are looking sharp. Get the tape ball and suncream ready fellas we're going to have a blast!!

Dave

Khan do it attitude!

The Tour Fund has now passed the £11,000 mark and the family of hard-hitting batsman Saad Khan have made the latest contribution with a "family bag pack" raising around £200. This is a great effort from the Prestwich branch of the Khan dynasty (unfortunately Great Uncle many times removed, The Aga Khan, didn't chip in with a bob or two!). It has also secured Dad Umar's position as Tour Kit Manager. This was a much sought after post with all sorts of political lobbying - and perhaps a little bit of skullduggery - going on behind the scenes to gain the honour and prestige of collecting in the lads' sweaty playing kit and getting it freshly laundered for the next game! An anonymous member of the Selection Committee said that Umar had impressed with his dedication, his unsurpassed knowledge of detergent and fabric conditioner and the fact that he can slap an ASBO on anybody who doesn't get his kit in on time! Seriously, though, it is this sort of getting stuck in effort that has made this Tour possible so thanks to Saad, Umar and the Khan family for their efforts.

Umar Khan goes through his paces at interview!

The Boys Are Back In Town!

All roads lead to Manchester tomorrow as the Squad is back at Old Trafford for the penultimate nets session before Departure Day (yes, there is another session the Sunday before everyone convenes at Manchester Airport to jet off to the Caribbean - can't see concentration levels being too high on Sunday 10th April somehow!). Apparently the Gaffer may not be there tomorrow but the lads are unlikely to get off lightly as no doubt Anders & Co will be putting them through some tough drills and skills sesssions.

Next weekend sees the "clubtocounty" bike ride (Sunday 3rd April) and this has already raised around £200 in pledges as a final boost to the Tour Fund. If anybody has a bike and wants to join Chris Brownlow, Barbados Dad and new volunteer, Neil Axon-Smith, on the journey just post a comment below or e-mail us on barbadosdad@gmail.com and we'll get you "saddled up"!

The Great, Late Malcolm Marshall!

Today a video tribute to one of the greatest fast bowlers ever, Barbados born Malcolm Marshall who sadly died of cancer in 1999.

A bit of history!

This is a copy of a list of players, with genuine signatures, from the 1959-60 MCC Tour to the West Indies. See how many famous names you recognise! Wonder if any of the Lancs U13s Tour Squad will end up in a future England team playing in the West Indies?

Barbados Today - and an interesting fact!

With exactly 3 weeks to go to Departure Day, why not subscribe to the free online edition of Barbados Today and catch up with local news!

Subscribe to Barbados Today

DID YOU KNOW?
Barbados produces the world's oldest rum under the Mount Gay label.

Cricket crossword

Today you can test your cricket knowledge with this fun crossword! If you right click the grid you should be able to print it. For a tougher puzzle you can complete online click here

Across

Down

3. Sri Lankan Record holder, test cricket debut in 1992 (12) 5. Famous Cricketer from Trinity College Kandy (10) 6. ….of an over (3) 12. Encircles the playing area (8, 4) 13. An illegal delivery (2, 4) 15. Fields close to the batsman (5, 3) 16. A young all rounder, plays for Sri Lanka (7) 17. A famous Test venue down under (6) 18. Captained Sri Lanka in 56 Tests and in 193 ODI matches (6) 19. Oldest test match series (5) 23. Birthplace of the three 'W's (4, 6) 26. Governing Body of world cricket (3) 27. A memento (8) 28. A great Batsman and a legendary cricketer (7) 29. The youngest Full Member to have received Test status in 1992 (8) 30. A popular version of cricket and a shortened format (6, 2)

1. Test cricketer and a fast bowler known as 'Big Bird' (6) 2. Stadium where the inaugural Test Match in 1982 took place (13) 4. Keeps the listeners informed (11) 7. Opened the bowling for an African Team (5) 8. Played for Ceylon, was a Cricket Coach, currently the National Curator (10) 9. Took four wickets in 4 consecutive deliveries in a World Cup series (7) 10. A famous cricket club in Colombo (10) 11. Accumulates runs for the Team (7) 14. A referee (6) 20. Skill of a slow bowler (4) 21. Scored 190 runs for Sri Lanka at Lords (9) 22. The best batsman in the world today (9) 24. Number of runs (5) 25. Opened the batting, the 'Coach' for Singapore National cricket team (6) 27. Helps to grip the ball (4)

How the funds were raised - part 4!

Today a brief back look to a great night in October 2010 and one of the first fund raising events for the Tour - a Quiz Night held at Horwich RMI Social Club and organised by the Brownlow Family. Nearly 40 teams attended the evening and enjoyed some challenging questions (try your hand at the sample questions below!) on a variety of subjects and with the Quiz being in the format of a 20/20 cricket game. A Hot Pot supper and a raffle also contributed to the evening.

Lee Congregational CC ran out convincing winners and the "Rubber Ducks" were Mount St Joseph's Dinner Ladies!

The event raised £668 for the Tour Fund.

Rubber Ducks!

Winners!




 

What was the name of the flying ace in the books by Captain W E Johns? 1 (run)point

What was the name of the crane in Bob The Builder and what colour was he? 2 runs

3 runs Name the Three Tenors.

Name the four animals represented by musical instruments in Prokofiev’s “Peter & The Wolf”. 4 runs

Which 4 characters take tea together in Alice in Wonderland? 4 runs

Name the three volumes of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and the three volumes in Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy 6 runs

What is the real name of the singer in “The Police” and who is he married to? 2 extra runs

What was the name of the flying ace in the books by Captain W E Johns?

1 (run)point

What was the name of the crane in Bob The Builder and what colour was he?

2 runs

3 runs

Name the Three Tenors.

Name the four animals represented by musical instruments in Prokofiev’s “Peter & The Wolf”.

4 runs

Which 4 characters take tea together in Alice in Wonderland?

4 runs

Name the three volumes of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and the three volumes in Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy

6 runs

What is the real name of the singer in “The Police” and who is he married to?

2 extra runs

What's your Caribbean cricketer name?

For a bit of fun, work out the name of your Caribbean cricketer and post a comment below - I'll select the best X1 as a touring team!

How it works!

To get your West Indies cricket name, take the surname of the US President at the time you were born (see list below) and then add the name of the last English seaside resort you visited (even for a day!). Don't make them up (although there may well be a Nixon Weston-super-Mare out there!).

To get things started Barbados Dad is Kennedy Lytham.

25. William McKinley 1897-1901
26. Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
27. William Howard Taft 1909-1913
28. Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921
29. Warren Gamaliel Harding 1921-1923
30. Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929
31. Herbert Clark Hoover 1929-1933
32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1933-1945
33. Harry S. Truman 1945-1953
34. Dwight David Eisenhower 1953-1961
35. John Fitzgerald Kennedy 1961-1963
36. Lyndon Baines Johnson 1963-1969
37. Richard Milhous Nixon 1969-1974
38. Gerald Rudolph Ford 1974-1977
39. James Earl Carter Jr. 1977-1981
40. Ronald Wilson Reagan 1981-1989
41. George Herbert Walker Bush 1989-1993
42. William Jefferson Clinton 1993-2001
43. George Walker Bush 2001-2009
44. Barack Hussein Obama 2009 - present.

Thoughts from the Top!

Today, Head Coach Dave Leighton reflects on the weekend session at Old Trafford, the current crop of injuries and how the Squad is progressing as the Barbados Tour draws ever nearer with the English season to follow on immediately after. As usual, "The Gaffer" is upbeat and positive about the prospects ahead!

Another week of training bites the dust with pace bowlers swinging the ball, spin bowlers spinning the ball - all to left handers. The scene was set to challenge our bowlers to the maximum, the batters learning to play straighter along the floor and hitting straight 6s. Playing these shots with control is an essential component of their game as they continue to improve. 'Man down' we shout as Lewis hits the wall with a groin injury, another man down as Chris can only catch with one hand, broken finger et al, yet another one down as Jake Brown does not arrive due to being hospitalised from the morning football match, Carefully we nuture back to life another casualty in Scott who is recovering from his broken leg. Josh feels the pace as the Bleep Test takes its toll (and on one or two others who shall remain nameless!!). Get your kit on Lucky Phil as you may be required to play in Barbados! Jake Smith shows vast improvement in the catching skills session and the concentration was there for all to see with Harrison, James, Will and Sam. Jody dived like a dying swan and Dom caught pigeons (or should that be the other way round??). Saad is getting steadily faster and Daniel is ever stronger. Hamza is right up to speed and Ryan is swinging the ball for fun, whilst Jonesy is batting with confidence. All in all a challenging session but the future will look brighter when all are fully fit!!

Dave

Dave Leighton : Club Programmes Manager
England and Wales Cricket Board : c/o County Cricket Ground, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0PX 

Old Trafford net session, injury and other news!

More tough work for the Lancs U13s Squad at Old Trafford yesterday as the Coaching Team put the lads through a variety of skills-based drills - and followed that up with a "Bleep Test" to finish! Even the watchers-on were exhausted! Still - these lads are County standard and know what is expected of them in terms of skills, fitness, discipline and attitude.

On the injury front:

• Jake Brown missed the Old Trafford session and spent the afternoon in hospital instead! Thankfully the suspected leg fracture was a false alarm and he should be fine after a couple of weeks rest.
• Chris Brownlow's broken finger looks to be well on the mend and he is expected to be fully fit for the Tour.
• Lewis "Ratboy" Wright apparently has a "fractured groin" (don't ask) but at least this kept him out of the Bleep Test so it can't be all bad.
• Will Davidson's knee doesn't look too bad and he's strangely injury free at the moment - it is far more likely that he will suffer a "loss of kit" crisis before the Tour Party leaves! See - The Davidson Factor
• Harrison Phelan has "short sleeve blazer" syndrome but it seems unlikely that this will affect his full participation in the Tour - assuming he turns up at the airport as his Mum and her satnav seem to think the Tour is due to take place in B...b...b...Bradford!!!!!

Tour Kit now released!

The Squad players were presented with their Tour Kit at Old Trafford earlier today. The presentation was made by Head Coach, Dave Leighton, and Assistant Coach, Shaun Anders. The players and coaches again wish to thank Seward Precision Laser Ltd. for their generous sponsorship of the kit. Each player was given a holdall, which will double as hand luggage for the journey, containing 2 playing shirts with the Tour Date embroidered under the Lancashire Red Rose (see above), training shirts and shorts, a towel, sunglasses, water bottle, lip salve and a wide brimmed hat.

Tour Captain, Chris Brownlow, models the playing shirt sponsored by Seward Precision Laser Ltd.

The Davidson Factor!

The Squad players were presented with their Tour kit at Old Trafford on Sunday 12th March - and very smart it looks too. Many thanks to Seward Laser Precision Ltd. for their very generous sponsorship. http://u13sbarbados.blogspot.com/2011/03/tour-kit-now-released.html

Never one to miss the opportunity of creating a crisis, Will Davidson promptly left his kit holdall on the tarmac outside Old Trafford as he drove off into the sunset with Mum at the wheel oblivious to the problem! Fortunately, a passing electrician from Accrington (rumoured to be dressed as a famous cartoon dog!) rescued the situation with a Keystone Cops style chase and the kit is now in safe hands (i.e. not Will's!).

2500 hits and counting!

With the Tour now only 4 weeks away, the Blog has gone past 2500 hits today! Thanks for your interest - the lads appreciate it - and keep logging on for more news and views as D(eparture) Day approaches!

4 weeks to go! Just to whet the appetite!

Another busy weekend!

The Lancashire Squad is back at Old Trafford on Sunday for the next indoor nets session. Expect more hard work and gruelling fitness training. No doubt Head Coach, Dave Leighton, will reflect on the session next week and I'll post his thoughts when I have them! It is possible that some of the Tour Kit will be available by the weekend - photos will be posted as soon as possible!

STOP PRESS!

The final total raised by the Fashion Show has been confirmed as £575.50 - a great contribution to the Tour Fund, which now stands at over £10,000. Many thanks to all involved in organising the event, and especially the models and their chaperones.

Fashion Show a Hit!

This evening saw the Barbados Fund Raising Fashion Show at Bury CC. The event was very well attended and the room was packed. Early indications are that the evening raised almost £500 for the Tour Fund from ticket sales, the raffle, "name the cricketer" and the cake stall - and this is before the commission from clothes sales is added to the total. I will post the final amount once known. Thanks to Nikki Morris and Sarah Davidson for organising this event and to all at Bury Cricket Club for their support.

Here Come The Girls!

The models: Melanie Brownlow, Philippa Wright, Lisa Clough, Sharon Brown, Mollie Brownlow, Liv Davidson, Bethan Seward.

The chaperones (could be a good name for a Boy Band! - X Factor here we come) : Will Davidson, Dominic Morris, Chris Brownlow, Jody Clough, Lewis "Ratboy" Wright, Jake Brown.

Strength & Conditioning

At the request of Head Coach, Dave Leighton, I've posted a series of Strength & Conditioning exercises the players have been asked to do twice a week! Parents - don't try this at home unless you want to run the risk of missing the trip with a hernia, slipped disc or worse! Exercises for older folk are shown further down the page!

Strength & Conditioning for More Senior Members of the Party!

The models are also showing off their Barbados bathing wear!

Advice to the players!

Today we feature some advice issued by Alex Horne, the LCC Strength & Conditioning Coach, on how our young players can help themselves cope with the playing conditions they are likely to encounter in Barbados.

With regards to Barbados – fluid intake is the most important factor for maintaining health. Make sure the players are drinking regularly during the day and consume a large quantity of fluid at breakfast and at dinner. Sports drinks are better for rehydration than water – however water is cheaper!! Dehydration can cause illness and injury – I have attached a simple hydration monitoring sheet with regards to dehydration.

Remind players to stay in the shade when not playing/training – particularly around midday – to avoid sunstroke – and when they are in the sun to wear caps/hats as a means of sun protection.

High dosages of high factor sunscreen are a vital – even for players with olive type skin complexions. Remind players that sweat rubs sunscreen off, so they need to reapply it regularly. Seawater and pool water also wear off sunscreen.

Fruit is plentiful in Barbados – and contains a good source of fluid, carbohydrate, roughage and vitamins. I would recommend all players consume large quantities of fruit whilst in the Caribbean.

Enjoy the trip!!

Cheers,


Alex
Alexander Horn

Physiologist/Strength and Conditioning Coach

David Roberts PhysiotherapyLancashire County Cricket Club

Old Trafford

ManchesterM16 0PX

Kids and fruit, eh? Should be a good combination! 

ARE YOU PROPERLY HYDRATED?

* Dehydration adversely affects performance

* Thirst is not a good indicator of hydration status

* If you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated

* Use urine colour as a guide to your hydration status

	CLEAR: Well hydrated. Continue to drink small volumes of fluid regularly during training and competition.
	STRAW COLOUR: Hydrated. Continue to drink small volumes of fluid regularly during training and competition.
	PALE YELLOW: Moderately Hydrated. Drink moderate volumes of fluid regularly during training and competition.
	YELLOW: Dehydrated. Consume 1 bottle of Lucozade Sport now and continue to drink regularly during training and competition.
	DARK YELLOW: Very Dehydrated. Consume 2 bottles of Lucozade Sport and ensure that you continue to drink regularly during training and competition.
	ORANGE: Severely Dehydrated. STOP TRAINING! You need to hydrate yourself. Consume 500 ml of CNP Pro-Hydrate drink immediately!

* Nutritional supplements and medicines may affect the colour of urine.

Next fund raiser - Fashion Show at Bury Cricket Club, Wednesday 9th March

The next major fund raising event will take place this coming Wednesday when a collection of glamorous models, escorted by smart young County cricketers, will take to the catwalk and show off some of the latest styles from major High Street retailers. The clothes can be ordered at a discount on the night.There will also be a raffle, a "name the cricketer" and a cake stall. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start

The venue is Bury Sports Club, Radcliffe Road, Bury, BL9 9JX  telephone 0161 764 1528.

For further information contact Nicola Morris on 07941 711186. Around 70 tickets have already been sold but there's places available at £3 per person and you can pay at the door on the night.

No paparazzi!

Good turnout at the Bag Pack!

Thanks to all who were able to attend the Bag Pack at Morrisons Atlas Mills store in Bolton today - it was a real success and the generous customers donated almost £900 to the Tour Fund. Thanks also to the staff at Morrisons, who made us all feel very welcome - we were even allowed to use the Staff Canteen where the food was delicious and excellent value!

New "official" Tour Photo!

You'll see the new Tour Photo at the top of the Blog! Thanks to Blackshaw, Sykes & Morris (Printers) in Bolton for their help with the artwork and design!

Those West Indies bowlers of the 70s were quick!

Last bag pack of the Winter!

The next group fund raising effort will take place this Saturday, 5th March, at Morrison's Atlas Store on Chorley Old Road in Bolton. This is a big store (27 checkouts!) and is always busy so a good turn out should see us earn a valuable boost to the Tour Fund with only 6 weeks or so left before departure date!

Christine Seward is again back in charge!

How the funds were raised - part 3!

Today we feature batsman Jake Brown of Orrell Red Triangle CC and his sponsored run from the Reebok Stadium in Bolton to his home Club. This is a copy of an article published in the Wigan Evening Post on 7 December 2010. Note: there is an error in the article - Jake and his supporters actually ran for around 10 miles, not 5! Sorry I can't get the picture any bigger to make the text clearer but it reads (verbatim - not my grammar!):

When youngster Jake Brown found out he had the chance to go and play cricket in Barbados he was determined to do whatever he could to make it happen.

So he immediately set out on a fund raising mission and last weekend took on freezing weather conditions and slippery pavements to complete a sponsored run from Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium to Orrell Red Triangle Cricket Club.

The determined 12 year old has played for Lancashire for about two years and is the only boy from Wigan in his age group so when he found out about the once in a lifetime trip to play against Barbados' best up and coming cricketers he was desperate to go.

His proud mum, Sharon, says that he is mad about the sport and he trains nearly every day during the season and when he is not training he helps out at his local club in Orrell.

The trip, which is due to take place in April next year, is going to cost £1400 for Jake, his parents and brother to travel the 4,170 miles so when he and his family found out about it in September they started thinking of ways to make it possible.

And with only a few months to plan the trip Jake knew he had to act quickly so he started gathering sponsorship, donations and planning the five mile run which took place at the weekend.

He and four other members of his family, including his dad, Andy, took on the challenge depite the difficult weather conditions.

Sharon said: "This opportunity for him to go and play in Barbados is fabulous and not only will it give him the chance to play against potentially some of the world's best up and coming talent but it will benefit him educationally too.

"And it is thanks in no small part to the generosity of his sponsors, the other people who have made donations and his own hard work that this has been made possible."
And although the St Peter's Catholic High School pupil, who lives in Billinge, managed to raise the vast majority of the money before the run the £1400 figure did not take into account any spending money so whatever he raises will go towards that.

The cricket mad youngster chose Orrell Red Triangle Cricket Club as the destination for his run as he has been a member there for six yeasr alog with his dad, Andy, brother, Tom, and grandad are all members.

* * * *

Jake says he found the run tough going in the wintery conditions, but his determination got him home!

A bit of fun!

Test your knowledge of West Indies cricket captains with this on-line quiz!