de Bruyn: "The guys have worked incredibly hard"

Pierre de Bruyn is delighted with how things are shaping up ahead of his first season as Head Coach at the Fischer County Ground.

The Leicestershire CCC players have been put through their paces on the winter training programme, which culminated in a pre-season tour to South Africa.

Twenty members of the squad are now back at the Fischer County Ground preparing for a series of intra-squad friendlies and with new signings Luke Ronchi and Colin Ackermann still to join along with Mark Cosgrove, Clint McKay and Cameron Delport, competition promises to be strong.

Ackermann, who has a first-class average of over 40, is one of the new faces having signed on a two-year deal from Warriors. All-rounder James Burke, on a one-year loan from Surrey, 22-year-old former Lancashire pace bowler Gavin Griffiths, and young left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson have also joined.

Will Fazakerley has progressed from the Academy while Harry Dearden, Dieter Klein and Richard Jones signed towards the end of the 2016 season.

“We have completely reviewed the existing culture and the players have totally bought into what the new coaching team of myself, Graeme Welch and John Sadler have put into place,” said de Bruyn.

“The guys have worked incredibly hard and I feel we're in a much better place, and that was demonstrated on our pre-season tour to South Africa.

“The younger players in particular have massively impressed me with the way they have responded. Aadil Ali and Lewis Hill scored magnificent hundreds out there.

“Tom Wells broke Ricky Ponting's record for sixes hit in an innings at The Wanderers Ground (Wells hit 11 maximums in a 50-over fixture against bizhub Highveld Lions), and Zak Chappell again showed he has the potential to play all-round cricket for England.

“I've reminded the players and management that producing international players is a huge part of what we're about, and asked the guys which of them will be the 39^th Leicestershire player to represent England. Because they have the talent.”

With Cosgrove (2,464 first-class runs at an average of 45.62 in his two years with Leicestershire) and McKay (114 fc wickets, as well as 38 one-day victims, also in two seasons) returning as first-class and one-day captain respectively, and Ronchi having been signed for all 14 NatWest T20 Blast group games, de Bruyn believes his Foxes can enjoy their best season for many years.

“Luke will offer power and dynamism to our batting line-up in T20,” said de Bruyn. “He has played a lot of games around the world and his experience in the shortest format of the game will also help our youngsters.

“Personally I'm very, very excited about the season. The hard work has been done and I've seen a change in mentality. We're better than what we've produced over the last few years and this season we must go out and prove that.

“I look at the bowlers and we have nine very different guys fighting for four or five places, so while a lot will depend on variables such as the conditions, or on rotation for fitness purposes, clearly there are going to be matches when individuals may be unfortunate to miss out.

“But we've spent the winter challenging every player, senior as well as junior, to step up and improve their skills by at least ten per cent. I've said to the senior guys, look, I respect your careers to date, but now it's time to take responsibility and make match-changing contributions for us here at Leicestershire.

“I mean no disrespect to the previous regime when I say that it has definitely helped to have all the coaches in place and present. We've worked very hard on individual techniques and on skill-sets: if you have to bowl a yorker to win a match and you miss it by a foot, then your skills are not in place.”

Preparations are contiuning ahead of the Specsavers County Championship opener against Nottinghamshire at the Fischer County Ground on Friday, April 7.

The Foxes are playing a 50-over game between themselves today and a further 3-day intra squad match is pencilled in from Tuesday to Thursday next week (March 21 to 23). Leicestershire then host Loughborough MCCU in the maiden first-class fixture of 2017 on Tuesday, March 28.

* Don’t miss a ball during the 2017 season! Leicestershire CCC’s Membership packages are on sale through the club’s website HERE, or alternatively you can call 0116 283 2128.