A NEW coach, new locations, and some possible new faces may await the Dorset Minor Counties set-up in the summer, as captain Chris Park looks forward to getting back into training at the weekend.
The former Dean Park outfit, who will now play their home fixtures at Chapel Gate, Bashley (Rydal) and North Perrott next term, returned to action with their first session under new coach Paul Prichard at Bryanston School.
Former Essex and Berkshire man Prichard, who also represented England A, was announced as the successor to Alan Willows in November after the latter took up a coaching position in South Africa.
And captain Park is excited about what will be a fresh approach for the Dorset side next summer.
He said: “There have been a lot of changes off the field but I am looking forward to getting back to cricket and doing what we do best come next weekend. “Hopefully there is now a production line and that’s one of the things that is going to have a massive emphasis on this season.
“Paul Prichard, the new coach, is very strict and stringent on playing local players.
“We have kind of made an unwritten rule if you like that unless you are a capped player you are not going to be picked from outside the county.
“It’s better for local cricket, and it’s good for the Dorset public to see young club players or Southern Premier League players be given their chance.
“We are expecting a good turnout next weekend and are looking forward to introducing Paul Prichard to the players.
“His career stats are unbelievable and I am just looking forward to him passing on his knowledge of the game to quite a young side.
“He is not looking at it as a short-term project, he is looking over the next five years to develop Dorset cricket from top to bottom.”
Mark Wolstenholme, Masoor Khan and James Hayman are expected to stay on with the Dorset squad next season – Khan is set to replace outgoing vice-captain Jake Lintott, who has agreed to sign for Wiltshire.
Park also revealed that the county are looking to recruit a professional for the summer to help guide the squad.
“We are currently in talks with two or three agents and professionals,” he added. “That is one of the things that Paul Prichard is going to be fantastic at, in tapping into that sort of clientele.
“We want someone who is either a senior cricketer who can pass on experience while still doing a job and leading from the front.
“Or, possibly a young professional who has just been released or come out of the game but is still looking to get back into the game. There are two or three players we have in mind but nothing has been finalised just yet.”
And while a revival of Dorset’s fortunes is the main aim, Park is fully aware that it may not come overnight.
The new set-up is also keen to look at the emerging players around the county, having invited a number of youth prospects to train with the Minor Counties side on Sunday.
Park has also agreed a deal to join Bournemouth on the club scene, giving him more of a chance to look at the cricketing talent across the area.
He said: “We have gone out of our way to invite all of the Leopards’ squad and all the players on the Emerging Player Programme for the Dorset Cricket Board.
“It will be good for them to see the next level and will be good for us to see what’s coming through on the pathway.”
The former Dean Park outfit, who will now play their home fixtures at Chapel Gate, Bashley (Rydal) and North Perrott next term, returned to action with their first session under new coach Paul Prichard at Bryanston School.
Former Essex and Berkshire man Prichard, who also represented England A, was announced as the successor to Alan Willows in November after the latter took up a coaching position in South Africa.
And captain Park is excited about what will be a fresh approach for the Dorset side next summer.
He said: “There have been a lot of changes off the field but I am looking forward to getting back to cricket and doing what we do best come next weekend. “Hopefully there is now a production line and that’s one of the things that is going to have a massive emphasis on this season.
“Paul Prichard, the new coach, is very strict and stringent on playing local players.
“We have kind of made an unwritten rule if you like that unless you are a capped player you are not going to be picked from outside the county.
“It’s better for local cricket, and it’s good for the Dorset public to see young club players or Southern Premier League players be given their chance.
“We are expecting a good turnout next weekend and are looking forward to introducing Paul Prichard to the players.
“His career stats are unbelievable and I am just looking forward to him passing on his knowledge of the game to quite a young side.
“He is not looking at it as a short-term project, he is looking over the next five years to develop Dorset cricket from top to bottom.”
Mark Wolstenholme, Masoor Khan and James Hayman are expected to stay on with the Dorset squad next season – Khan is set to replace outgoing vice-captain Jake Lintott, who has agreed to sign for Wiltshire.
Park also revealed that the county are looking to recruit a professional for the summer to help guide the squad.
“We are currently in talks with two or three agents and professionals,” he added. “That is one of the things that Paul Prichard is going to be fantastic at, in tapping into that sort of clientele.
“We want someone who is either a senior cricketer who can pass on experience while still doing a job and leading from the front.
“Or, possibly a young professional who has just been released or come out of the game but is still looking to get back into the game. There are two or three players we have in mind but nothing has been finalised just yet.”
And while a revival of Dorset’s fortunes is the main aim, Park is fully aware that it may not come overnight.
The new set-up is also keen to look at the emerging players around the county, having invited a number of youth prospects to train with the Minor Counties side on Sunday.
Park has also agreed a deal to join Bournemouth on the club scene, giving him more of a chance to look at the cricketing talent across the area.
He said: “We have gone out of our way to invite all of the Leopards’ squad and all the players on the Emerging Player Programme for the Dorset Cricket Board.
“It will be good for them to see the next level and will be good for us to see what’s coming through on the pathway.”