Fresh off returning from the Academy ‘Batting against Spin’ clinic late last week, Academy Head Coach, Elliot Wilson took some time to dissect what was another prosperous trip.
Six players from the club’s Academy travelled to Mumbai, from the 9th–19 February for an intensive development training camp focused on batting against spin, whilst developing skills that are aimed at bridging the gap to 2nd XI Cricket.
Day One set the tone, where, immediately after landing in Mumbai, the squad were assembled for a three-hour net session, getting to work and keeping the player’s body clocks aligned.
A routine-based approach and a strong emphasis on hard work underpinned the week.
Over the following three days, the group trained from 10am–3:30pm at the Global Cricket School, with net bowlers rotating across two nets at any one time, seven batters in a group faced half-hour blocks of intense ‘trial by spin’.
The standard and type of bowling replicated what the batters will face at a top-level academy environment and beyond, as well as enhanced spin-friendly conditions, that Wilson said brought the best out of all the players on the trip.
“The energy throughout the trip was palpable. It was fantastic to see and even better to watch. From the outset, the group were switched on, focused and fully bought in.
“It was clear they benefitted enormously from the experience, taking on learnings they can now put into practice. The volume of training was a crucial factor, this was about hours, not minutes, as we went to India to try and make some long-term improvement.”
Each player kept a personal logbook to track progress, with Elliot reflecting on their thoughts and helping shape clear targets over breakfast or at the end of each day.
Some of the most valuable moments came away from the nets, where reflection and discussion helped reinforced the work on the field. The young group impressed Wilson, who enjoyed the way the players maximised every opportunity presented to them.
“There were clear white ball and red ball focuses, which were outlined from the beginning. They weren’t overly prescriptive, but those two areas remained a key focus for the lads and how they practiced.
“As always, there are certain elements you have to let the lads find out a bit themselves, but the environment created the best possible chance for growth.
“I would like to say a big thanks to Jake Libby. His involvement was invaluable, and the boys were hugely appreciative. To have someone of his ilk and possessing his batting acumen with us, and for the lads to watch and learn from was gold dust, whether on the bus, around the group, or in the nets.”
The trip was rounded off with a fixture against a Nottinghamshire Academy outfit, featuring a Worcestershire Academy XI supplemented by some of the Global Cricket School bowlers.
It was an excellent display to round off the, all of the touring party able to feature in the One-Day fixture, that saw Seth Essenhigh (109*) and Henry Hawes (64*) demonstrate maturity and their learnings from the trip, as Worcestershire eased to a seven-wicket win, chasing down 210 in just 35 overs.
“That partnership between Seth and Henry showed exactly what we hoped to see as a result of the camp. Seth showed real quality and ability to shift through the gears for his century, while Henry displayed excellent temperament at the other end to bide his time and play a reliable support role.”
Now back on home soil, the Academy are continuing their prep for the start of the 2026 summer, with the group preparing for their first pre-season fixture, scheduled for the end of March.
