Fantastic Academy experience provided through the BJMT
Mon 18 Jun 2018
Five members of our Academy squad will have a fantastic experience at the end of the English summer thanks to the support from the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust (BJMT).
Don Butchart, Nathan Bowley, Jacob Bailey, Jack Nightingale and Harry Funnell will be travelling to Sri Lanka for 12 days through the BJMT. The group will play in six fixtures over the 12 days as part of a tour organised by former Leicestershire and England international Phil DeFreitas.
The Brian Johnston Memorial Trust was created as a memorial by his family, who together with many eminent members of the cricketing and broadcasting world, set up a trust fund to further the causes that were close to Brian's heart.
Both Butchart and Bowley will benefit from the BJMT/ECB Elite Spin Programme, which supports the clubs youth spin bowling programme and has supported nearly 250 young spin bowlers over the past four years, throughout the country.
The group have a range of skills; both Butchart and Bowley are off-spinning all-rounders. Bailey and Funnell are quick bowlers and Nightingale is a top order batsman who will captain the Academy in 2018.
Academy Director Andy Siddall said “This trip represents an amazing opportunity for this group; it will be valuable for them playing in new conditions and learning more about their games. It will also be a great test of their fitness and resolve as some have not experienced conditions like Sri Lanka in cricketing terms.”
He added “It has been excellent to have Phil on board over the past few months. He has added great value to our programme. Hopefully this will be the first of many tours for our young players.”
Finally, everyone at Leicestershire CCC is immensely grateful to the BJMT for the very generous support they have shown to our Academy Cricketers.
* More information on the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust, that has helped so many young cricketers over the years, is available HERE
