The BOP men's team travels to Taupo for the six team Northern Districts one day tournament this weekend. If the Bay wins three, or even two games, we will be in a top position to secure a Hawke Cup challenge against Hawkes Bay. We have two matches after the tournament to secure the challenge.

At tournament we have three tough games against Hamilton, Counties and Northland. Our chances may be slightly dented as Jono Boult and Te Ahu may get Knights call ups. This is because they have been playing well and on the same weekend there is a huge clash in the cricket calender. NZ ‘A' plays Pakistan and there is a round of the State Championship.
The Knights could lose five players to the ‘A' match which then filters down the levels.

Last season the Bay men's side had a new coach in James Pamment. He started later on in the piece last year, but this season has provided us with a very comprehensive pre-season build up. This will benefit us especially when you start to miss guys like Jono and Te Ahu. It means the other guys are ready to step in straight away.
This year he has taken on the role with ND as well so I thought I would ask him a few questions about his career in football, cricket and coaching.


What is the name of your new role with ND Cricket?

High Performance Coach or NZ Cricket Network Coach


What is your role under this job?

My role is wide ranging. The main purpose is to work in conjunction with Craig Ross on the identification, selection and coaching of our young elite/talented players. The Hhigh performance coach is a role that New Zealand Cricket has put in place in each major association. The role requires specific high performance coaching and management skills in order to implement high performance programmes and plans. A strong relationship with the major associations' first class coach and specialist coaches is also a key focus for the HP coach. In the ND region it is important all the high performance coaching personnel work together to plan and implement our HP programmes. Due to the geographical challenges within our region Craig Ross takes specific responsibility for Northland, Counties Manakau and Hamilton, while I oversee the development of the players from Waikato Valley, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay. I will also coach the ND ‘A' team and the ND under 19 team during the national tournament during December.


Why have you kept coaching the BOP side when you have a large workload?

I enjoyed the role immensely last season. I felt we made a lot of progress, not only as a group but with several individual players. I felt passionate about keeping the momentum going and hopefully assisting the team to be consistent by putting back-to-back seasons together. The Hawke Cup is also major focus for the group and I want to help the team achieve that goal.


Which English clubs did you play football for?

I was a youth player at both Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday during the late ‘80s. I also spent time on trial with several other clubs around the north of England. In fact, I spent so much time on trial my grandmother thought I was a career criminal.


Why did you choose cricket instead of football?

I got frustrated with football. It was then and still is today never easy for a young goalkeeper to make is way in the professional game. I was keen to advance in one sport or the other and cricket gave me that pathway first. I could have spent a few years plying my trade in the lower leagues in the hope I would have been picked up by a pro club, but cricket gave me the chance to travel to NZ at the age of 20, so I grabbed the opportunity.


Did you see any memorable events while a pro footballer in the UK?

I was immersed in football all my young life, my father played for England at youth and under 23 level. I would go to all the big games for which I could secure tickets. I enjoyed watching Liverpool during the ‘80s in some great games. I was a youth player at Bradford City during the season of 1985; that was the year of the tragic fire that claimed 56 lives. I remember the after scenes vividly, both my father and I had strong ties with Bradford City and the disaster affected many of our friends.


What is your cricket background in the UK?

I learned my cricket at a famous village club in Yorkshire called Lascelles Hall. It was just a small textile village on the outskirts of Huddersfield but was renowned for producing cricketers who went on to represent Yorkshire County Cricket Club.


What was Geoff Boycott like to play with?

Geoffrey was an icon of Yorkshire and English cricket. I played with and against him on several occasions. He could be the best of company or the worst. I remember being very intimidated by his presence and he always dominated any environment in which he was in.


Did he help you out at all while you were at Yorkshire?

No not really, he never offered much, technically and tactically he was full of knowledge but very rarely helped us young guys out. I once put on a stand of over 200 with him at a Club and Ground game and all he offered me was, 'When I say run, make sure you bloody run."
That said, his efforts and deeds were legendary in our neck of the woods and we all idolised him despite his shortcomings.


How come you came to NZ?

I was presented with an opportunity to play for Naenae Old Boys' in Wellington for the 1988/89 season. As previously mentioned I was disheartened with not progressing in football so took the chance to travel downunder and play cricket


Why did you stop playing for Auckland when you were playing well?

I had to make a lifestyle decision, financially I couldn't justify to my wife and family why I should carry on playing first class and domestic one day cricket. I reached a point where I felt I was developing a firm understanding around where my game was at and what I needed to do to take it to the next level. In order to move to the next level I needed to dedicate more time to training and specific practice. Auckland Cricket didn't want to pay the players or compensate us for the time we needed to dedicate to improve so I made the decision to move on to the next phase of my life. It also didn't sit well with me that I would be paid $70 for a day's cricket and Aravinda de Silva would be receiving a little bit more than that.


Who was the best seamer you faced?

On some of the pitches I played on even the average seamers were made to look good. I rated Michael Sharpe from Canterbury highly from a domestic point of view and Wasim Akram was probably the best international seamer I faced, not that I remember much, He pinned me.


Who impressed you with the bat in your entire career? Richards? Boys?

As previously mentioned Boycs was an icon, I enjoyed watching players who struck the ball, Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Graham Hick. I also enjoyed watching and playing against Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe. In domestic cricket I enjoyed batting with and watching Dipak Patel and my old flatmate Matt Horne.


What is your most memorable victory playing for BOP?

During the 98/99 season. It was the season I captained and coached the Bay. We dominated all the other District Associations, finishing the season with a record points tally. We played a very strong Northland team in Whangarei, they had a number of first class players in their line up; Joseph Yovich, Alex Tait, the Marshalls, the Parlanes, Bruce Martin and Dean Potter, along with some experienced District Association players. On a wet wicket after the first day was rained off, I called their bluff, decided to bat and told my players to be positive and take it to them. We posted 265/5 declared and bowled them out for 200.


What is the best season you had with the Mount?

1999/2000. The Mount dominated club cricket that year and there was a number of good club sides that year and I think that was the last year I actually enjoyed playing and batting.


How could BOP cricket give more to the young players in your view?

The development programmes need to be consistent, especially during the off season. We have expert coaches and most importantly good people who have played and coached at a high level in New Zealand and world cricket they all need to be engaged in programmes for the good of the youth coming through.


What are the differences for boys learning cricket in ND versus Auckland?

Geographically the ND boys are often removed from their peer groups. In my mind this is a positive because it should assist the players to become self-sufficient and also expose them to playing cricket with and against adults earlier than their Auckland counter parts who often play school boy cricket until they are 18 years of age.


Would you like to take on a first class coaching role? Higher?

I have some time to serve, learning my trade. I am a student of the technical side of the game. I am always looking for ways to improve myself as a coach and I like to think I create good environments for the players I guide. Tactically I feel I am competent, so in a few years time if an opportunity presents itself, I would seriously consider it.