Ex-England star brings bag of tricks

The Pilbara’s next generation of cricketing legends sharpened their skills, under the watchful eyes of former English first-class cricketer Alan Mullally at a recent Pilbara talent camp in Hedland.

Sixteen players were selected from across the region for the Western Australian Cricket Association and Pilbara Regional Cricket Board camp from July 5-7.

Eight athletes were selected from Hedland, three from Dampier, and five from Karratha for nets and outfield training at the McGregor Street oval, as well as at Wanangkura Stadium in South Hedland. Mullally said there were always little tips and stories he could provide from his experiences in the competitive world of cricket,

“We never had this when I was growing up — it’s great,” he said.

“Guys get the opportunity to have guys who played Test cricket to come up here and pass on their knowledge about diet, the art of cricket, the skills involved these days,” he said.

“Stretching and things like that, how to hold the ball correctly and run-ups — little tricks of the trade.

“Tell a few stories, how I started out and went through the ranks of test and county cricket.”

PRCB chairman Chris Ams said the program had previously recognised State representatives such as Port Hedland’s Zoe Britcliffe.

“The camp is an integral part of identifying talent from across the region and forms part of the WACA’s pathway to representative cricket,” he said. “The PRCB would like to thank the following supporters of the event: Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, FMG, Pilbara Access, Hedland First National, TOPH, WACA and Rema TipTop.”

Mr Ams said coaches from the WACA worked with Mullally and PRCB staff at the camp to provide high-performance training and skills assessments.