JUNIOR cricketers have enjoyed a fantastic first half of the cricket season in the Nambucca Valley. All three inter-district teams – U12s, U14s and U16s – made the grand finals, a feat not seen in the valley for many years.
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The two largest junior cricket clubs in the competition, Macksville and Nambucca Heads, are producing exciting games every Saturday morning and as a result they dominate selections in the representative teams.
Macksville has been strong for many years with two teams in the U14s competition and four teams in the U12s. This pattern seems certain to continue with the successful introduction of T20 Blast under the guidance of Michael Townsend and the re-emergence of Milo In2cricket with coach Scott Leece.
Nambucca Heads CC is also on the move with a team in each junior grade. They are performing well and with Peter Lee at the helm, the future of Nambucca Heads cricket looks bright.
Contributing to this growth and interest in cricket is the quality of visiting coaches to the region. Brendan Lyon, older brother of Test cricketer Nathan, has been visiting this district twice a year for for two years, bringing ‘big smoke’ coaching to the country.
“I absolutely love returning to the country areas in an attempt to grow the game. The country has been such a terrific breeding ground for so many talented cricketers and as we coaches endeavour to keep that connection flourishing in the future,” Brendon said.
Brendan was last in Macksville in August with former Test player and commentator Kerry O’Keeffe at the North Coast Cricket Council Academy.
Brendan has also worked with Nambucca cricketers making an impression in the Sydney Grade Cricket scene – Jamie Bekis and Alec Baldwin.
“Brendan’s methods have helped my batting immensely,” said Alec, who has just returned from the U19s National Championships in Adelaide.
“He has plenty of advice for young players looking to improve their skills, he has helped me a lot,” said Jamie, who has recently linked with the mighty Gordon CC in Sydney.
Regional head coach Terry Baldwin is delighted by Brendan’s contributions: “He has been a guest coach at the North Coast Cricket Council Academy for two years now bringing his own style of coaching and enthusiasm for junior cricketers. His methods simplify batting and his delivery makes it fun to learn.”
Brendan will return to this area as a level 3 cricket coach, having recently completed the course in Hong Kong with class mates and former Test stars Mike Hussey and Chris Rogers.
If you want to participate in the Lyon Cricket Program, he will be in Coffs Harbour on Wednesday January 18, from 9am to 3pm at Bray St Oval. Cost is $88. If you are interested in signing up for this fun filled day book your spot at lyoncricket.com.
