Nixon delighted with new coaching group

With the first Specsavers County Championship fixture against Sussex just days away, Head Coach Paul Nixon spoke about the excitement of working with his new coaches and what each person will bring to the group.

Nixon has blended the experience of Matt Mason [Head Bowling Coach] and John Sadler [Assistant Coach] with the recently retired Tom Smith [Second XI Coach]. Sadler is the only member of the team who has previous experience of working with the group, something which is valuable to Nixon.

Nixon said: “Sads [John Sadler] is desperate to see the club succeed; he knows where the players are at having spent a year with them already. Sads and I have an incredibly honest relationship and we trust each other which is a vital ingredient for us to be successful as a group.”

Another coach who is vastly experienced is Mason, who joined the club from Worcestershire in the summer. Nixon said: “Mase [Matt Mason] is a wonderful coach for the club to bring in, the job he did at Worcestershire was exceptional and he has not got the recognition he deserves for the job he did there.

“Mase knows what it takes for the bowlers to take 20 wickets in Championship cricket, which is something the guys didn’t achieve last season. He’s had a brilliant winter with the ECB Pace Programme, where he has also learnt a lot, and that can only benefit the guys here.”

“There is a lot of young bowlers in the current squad and his expertise will be invaluable, whether it is setting fields or working out how to bowl at batsmen, I can’t wait to see how much they improve working with Mase.”

The final cog in the group is Tom Smith, who has taken over from Sadler as Second Team Coach. Smith captained Lancashire and has worked with the men and women teams at the Red Rose county, as well as the England Women team.

Nixon said “As a former county captain at Lancashire, Tom [Smith] has great knowledge of the game and the fact that he was outstanding at all three disciplines means that he will benefit the players in all disciplines.

“It can be hard for players if they drop down to the Second XI but I have no doubt that Tom has the skills to boost the players and help them regain their confidence before they push for a First XI place again.”

Nixon finally thanked the LCCC members and supporters who came to the Fischer County Ground to support the players during the warm-up fixtures.

He said: “The members here have always provided us with such fantastic support and I urge as many as possible to come down on Friday and over the weekend to give the lads the support we need.”

* Join Head Coach Paul Nixon and Team Leicestershire at the first Specsavers County Championship fixture of the season against Sussex this weekend. Tickets are available to buy HERE