England Under-19 all-rounder Scott Currie, pictured, believes the new format of National Counties cricket will give more talented youngsters the opportunity to impress first-class counties.
The National Counties Cricket Association has replaced the Minor Counties CA this year and with it has come a revamped three-day Championship with the Eastern and Western Divisions divided in two with promotion and relegation, more white ball cricket and playing schedule that does not clash with county Second XI cricket.
The changes should make it easier for talented youngsters such as Currie, who intends to continue playing for Dorset even though he is now on a ‘rookie contract’ with Hampshire, to combine their National Counties and first-class commitments and develop their skills in a competitive environment.
“It’s good to see progression being made with National Counties cricket. I made my Dorset debut at 16 and it has always been very competitive cricket,” Currie said.
“The new divisions, with promotion and relegation, brings a new dimension to an established competition and bolsters National Counties cricket which can only be good for the game.
Best players
“I think it will allow more first-class counties to see what National Counties players are doing and it gives the players the chance to put themselves out there.
“You want to play against the best players and you also want the best players on your side to be available. The fact that they have looked at the fixtures to try to ensure that the best players are available will also increase the competition.
“The standard of the T20 Finals Day last year was immensely high. It was better than some of the second team cricket I have played.
“We had Felix Organ and Sam Young, who are full time professionals, plus Max Waller and Rishi Patel from Essex played for Hertfordshire. It can only be positive that you are playing with and against the best players out there.”
Poole Town raised Currie, who is earmarked to skipper the Hampshire Academy side in the ECB Southern Premier League this summer, played all of his formative county cricket for Dorset before he was recommended to Hampshire, as a 15-year-old.
Impressed
Currie was invited for a trial at the Ageas Bowl and, having impressed, he was then selected to play for Hampshire Under-17s in 2017, the season he made his senior debut for Dorset against Wiltshire at Corsham.
“I remember my debut. I was only 16 we played against Wiltshire who had people like Ed Young, Steve Bullen, Jake Lintott and Tahir Afridi so they had a really strong side,” Currie said
“It was the first time that I had really been exposed to fielding for 90 overs and then have to come back in the second innings. It’s not something you are exposed to in Under-17 cricket.
“That was quite an eye opener for me but it does stand you in good stead going forward.
“I have always found National Counties cricket really tough. You would play on a Saturday for your club and then go and play three days of Championship cricket for Dorset.
“Some of those days in can be quite prolonged. You field for 90 overs and then have 17 overs to bat on the first evening. It’s tough cricket physically and mentally.
“In county Second XI you might have one or two established pros who are not in the first team and then quite a lot of youngsters from the academy trying to find their way in the game.
“In National Counties cricket you have a lot of experienced players who have been playing at that level for some time and they know their game inside out so you always feel that you have to be on your own game all the time.”
Under-19 World Cup
Currie was one of nine players with a background in National Counties cricket who were in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.
“With the Under-19s in the winter there were quite a few of us who had come through the National Counties route - Lewis Goldsworthy came through with Cornwall, Ben Charlesworth from Oxfordshire and George Balderson came through the Cheshire system,” Currie said
“The fact that we have so many players who haven’t come through the conventional route, either a private school or the age groups of a first-class county, says a lot about the standard of National Counties cricket.”
Having returned from international duty, Currie was looking forward to his first season with Hampshire and was on their pre-season training camp in Spain when plans for the new domestic season were halted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“As a club Hampshire were due to go to La Manga in Spain. As they normally do they send a bowling group to go out first to bowl a few overs and acclimatise,” Currie said.
“There were a group of six of us and it was probably the shortest tour ever. We went out on a Wednesday and came back on the Friday.
“We got about ten overs in on the Thursday and then we were on our way home on the Friday afternoon so it was short but quite interesting.”
Lockdown
When the green light is eventually given for cricket to resume, Currie will be aiming to press his claims for a possible first team white ball place at the Ageas Bowl.
“Unfortunately the lockdown has come at a pretty bad time, but there’s nothing that we can do. We just have to wait for the green light to resume like everyone else has to.
“The aim was to start in the second team with Hampshire - I’ve got a bit of second team experience under my belt - and then stake a claim for maybe the One Day Cup which was supposed to be played at the same time as The Hundred. Obviously that tournament has been postponed until 2021 now,” he said.
“I still intend to play for Dorset when I can. Last season I played quite a lot for Dorset both in the Championship and also in the T20 competition and reaching Finals Day was a great experience.
“Dorset have been excellent about understanding my schedule with Hampshire and I always enjoy playing for them whenever I can.”
The National Counties Cricket Association has replaced the Minor Counties CA this year and with it has come a revamped three-day Championship with the Eastern and Western Divisions divided in two with promotion and relegation, more white ball cricket and playing schedule that does not clash with county Second XI cricket.
The changes should make it easier for talented youngsters such as Currie, who intends to continue playing for Dorset even though he is now on a ‘rookie contract’ with Hampshire, to combine their National Counties and first-class commitments and develop their skills in a competitive environment.
“It’s good to see progression being made with National Counties cricket. I made my Dorset debut at 16 and it has always been very competitive cricket,” Currie said.
“The new divisions, with promotion and relegation, brings a new dimension to an established competition and bolsters National Counties cricket which can only be good for the game.
Best players
“I think it will allow more first-class counties to see what National Counties players are doing and it gives the players the chance to put themselves out there.
“You want to play against the best players and you also want the best players on your side to be available. The fact that they have looked at the fixtures to try to ensure that the best players are available will also increase the competition.
“The standard of the T20 Finals Day last year was immensely high. It was better than some of the second team cricket I have played.
“We had Felix Organ and Sam Young, who are full time professionals, plus Max Waller and Rishi Patel from Essex played for Hertfordshire. It can only be positive that you are playing with and against the best players out there.”
Poole Town raised Currie, who is earmarked to skipper the Hampshire Academy side in the ECB Southern Premier League this summer, played all of his formative county cricket for Dorset before he was recommended to Hampshire, as a 15-year-old.
Impressed
Currie was invited for a trial at the Ageas Bowl and, having impressed, he was then selected to play for Hampshire Under-17s in 2017, the season he made his senior debut for Dorset against Wiltshire at Corsham.
“I remember my debut. I was only 16 we played against Wiltshire who had people like Ed Young, Steve Bullen, Jake Lintott and Tahir Afridi so they had a really strong side,” Currie said
“It was the first time that I had really been exposed to fielding for 90 overs and then have to come back in the second innings. It’s not something you are exposed to in Under-17 cricket.
“That was quite an eye opener for me but it does stand you in good stead going forward.
“I have always found National Counties cricket really tough. You would play on a Saturday for your club and then go and play three days of Championship cricket for Dorset.
“Some of those days in can be quite prolonged. You field for 90 overs and then have 17 overs to bat on the first evening. It’s tough cricket physically and mentally.
“In county Second XI you might have one or two established pros who are not in the first team and then quite a lot of youngsters from the academy trying to find their way in the game.
“In National Counties cricket you have a lot of experienced players who have been playing at that level for some time and they know their game inside out so you always feel that you have to be on your own game all the time.”
Under-19 World Cup
Currie was one of nine players with a background in National Counties cricket who were in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.
“With the Under-19s in the winter there were quite a few of us who had come through the National Counties route - Lewis Goldsworthy came through with Cornwall, Ben Charlesworth from Oxfordshire and George Balderson came through the Cheshire system,” Currie said
“The fact that we have so many players who haven’t come through the conventional route, either a private school or the age groups of a first-class county, says a lot about the standard of National Counties cricket.”
Having returned from international duty, Currie was looking forward to his first season with Hampshire and was on their pre-season training camp in Spain when plans for the new domestic season were halted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“As a club Hampshire were due to go to La Manga in Spain. As they normally do they send a bowling group to go out first to bowl a few overs and acclimatise,” Currie said.
“There were a group of six of us and it was probably the shortest tour ever. We went out on a Wednesday and came back on the Friday.
“We got about ten overs in on the Thursday and then we were on our way home on the Friday afternoon so it was short but quite interesting.”
Lockdown
When the green light is eventually given for cricket to resume, Currie will be aiming to press his claims for a possible first team white ball place at the Ageas Bowl.
“Unfortunately the lockdown has come at a pretty bad time, but there’s nothing that we can do. We just have to wait for the green light to resume like everyone else has to.
“The aim was to start in the second team with Hampshire - I’ve got a bit of second team experience under my belt - and then stake a claim for maybe the One Day Cup which was supposed to be played at the same time as The Hundred. Obviously that tournament has been postponed until 2021 now,” he said.
“I still intend to play for Dorset when I can. Last season I played quite a lot for Dorset both in the Championship and also in the T20 competition and reaching Finals Day was a great experience.
“Dorset have been excellent about understanding my schedule with Hampshire and I always enjoy playing for them whenever I can.”
Scott Currie in 2017 Academy action
