Basingstoke & North Hants have appointed Julian Wood as head coach on a three-year deal, which they hope will be the stepping-stone to the May’s Bounty club re-establishing itself as one of the county’s leading sides.
A triple relegation in 2019 cost the Bountymen their ECB Southern Premier Division status and will leave the club playing second and fourth tier SPL cricket this summer, with the thirds in Hampshire League Division 3 North.
Basingstoke believe Wood’s appointment is an important step in the long-term plans of the club.
“Our aim is to make May’s Bounty the best place in Hampshire to learn and to play cricket,” says chairman Paul Oates.
Wood is regarded as one of international cricket’s top coaches, having worked with T20 sides in Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
He will combine his duties at Basingstoke with those as head coach at Bradfield College.
“I will be working at May’s Bounty three midweek evenings a week, concentrating on the most promising juniors on Mondays, third and fourth teams on Wednesdays and the Southern Premier League sides on Thursdays,” he explained.
“In addition, I plan to do one-to-one coaching on Fridays nights in readiness for the next day.
“These will be properly constructed evening sessions, with real emphasis put on improving player skills and fielding.
Strong links
“They will be tough, but the more effort players put in the more enjoyable it will be - and they will reap the dividends when it comes to matches at weekends.”
Renowned for his Power Hitting Programme, Wood, 52, joined Basingstoke as a talented and hard hitting 15-year old left-hander and retained his strong May’s Bounty links during his time on the Hampshire county staff at Northlands Road.
“We had a seriously good side during those years in the Thames Valley League. They were great days at the Bounty,” he smiled.
Mr Oates added: “Julian will coach all sections - adults, juniors and women’s - working with existing section managers and captains.
“We want to enhance our already robust junior programs we have in place, towards charting the way forward for cricketers at May’s Bounty.
Opening batsman Dan Belcher, who will captain Basingstoke in Southern Premier League Division1 this coming season, said, “Woody knows us, knows our club and our players.
“It is fantastic that we have him as our Head Coach formally, and excited to learn from him as we look forward to constantly improving our skills and performances.
“It is also an invaluable experience for our youngsters with his inputs and guidance into our youth programs.”
Basingstoke’s pre-season training will commence at May’s Bounty the week commencing April 12, with the opening friendly against Hook & Newnham Basics on Saturday April 19, followed by Slough a week later.
A triple relegation in 2019 cost the Bountymen their ECB Southern Premier Division status and will leave the club playing second and fourth tier SPL cricket this summer, with the thirds in Hampshire League Division 3 North.
Basingstoke believe Wood’s appointment is an important step in the long-term plans of the club.
“Our aim is to make May’s Bounty the best place in Hampshire to learn and to play cricket,” says chairman Paul Oates.
Wood is regarded as one of international cricket’s top coaches, having worked with T20 sides in Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
He will combine his duties at Basingstoke with those as head coach at Bradfield College.
“I will be working at May’s Bounty three midweek evenings a week, concentrating on the most promising juniors on Mondays, third and fourth teams on Wednesdays and the Southern Premier League sides on Thursdays,” he explained.
“In addition, I plan to do one-to-one coaching on Fridays nights in readiness for the next day.
“These will be properly constructed evening sessions, with real emphasis put on improving player skills and fielding.
Strong links
“They will be tough, but the more effort players put in the more enjoyable it will be - and they will reap the dividends when it comes to matches at weekends.”
Renowned for his Power Hitting Programme, Wood, 52, joined Basingstoke as a talented and hard hitting 15-year old left-hander and retained his strong May’s Bounty links during his time on the Hampshire county staff at Northlands Road.
“We had a seriously good side during those years in the Thames Valley League. They were great days at the Bounty,” he smiled.
Mr Oates added: “Julian will coach all sections - adults, juniors and women’s - working with existing section managers and captains.
“We want to enhance our already robust junior programs we have in place, towards charting the way forward for cricketers at May’s Bounty.
Opening batsman Dan Belcher, who will captain Basingstoke in Southern Premier League Division1 this coming season, said, “Woody knows us, knows our club and our players.
“It is fantastic that we have him as our Head Coach formally, and excited to learn from him as we look forward to constantly improving our skills and performances.
“It is also an invaluable experience for our youngsters with his inputs and guidance into our youth programs.”
Basingstoke’s pre-season training will commence at May’s Bounty the week commencing April 12, with the opening friendly against Hook & Newnham Basics on Saturday April 19, followed by Slough a week later.
