MCC / ECC

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MCC has sent three of its new Young Cricketers to Mumbai - in India - to receive world-class training in how to bat against spin bowling, including Dane Michael Pederson.

The intensive eight-day course - also being attended by MCC's Head Coach, Clive Radley - is the World Cricket Academy's first professional development programme of 2006.

The MCC Young Cricketers to have travelled to Mumbai are:

- Richard Young, a wicket-keeper / batsman from Sussex who played against MCC's Young Cricketers, for England U-19, last season;

- Michael Pederson, a left-hand batsman who has already represented Denmark; and

- Lee Hodgson, an all-rounder from Middlesbrough.

MCC’s Head of Cricket, John Stephenson, said:

“I am sure that our Young Cricketers will find this intensive training course, in India, absolutely invaluable.

It's another example of the investment that MCC puts into identifying and fostering the next generation of cricketing talent, for the long-term good of the game.”

A similar spin course in 2003 (also held in Mumbai) was attended by, among others, Stephen Snell - an MCC Young Cricketer who was subsequently signed, last season, by Gloucestershire CCC.

The World Cricket Academy programme is not the only initiative in place to help MCC’s Young Cricketers in the English winter. For example, five Young Cricketers are currently playing grade cricket in Australia and South Africa - with one of them, Sean O’Brien, having received a scholarship from Melbourne Cricket Club - while their Assistant Coach, Owen Dawkins, recently returned from Australia after working alongside Terry Jenner (Shane Warne's mentor) at his annual Wrist-Spin Clinic in Adelaide.