Mike Stanger, Cricket Scotland

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Cricket Scotland is pleased to confirm the coaches and administrators who will head up the new Regional Academies development programme for top young Scottish cricketers from next month.

The five Academies are geographically structured and are expected to enhance opportunities for those with performance potential to access quality sports-specific coaching and support services, to enable further development towards national standard.

The newly-appointed staff are:

Western (Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway) – Iain Kennedy and Simon Smith (Head Coaches), Tim Hart (administrator)

Eastern (Lothian and Borders) – Steven Knox (Head Coach), Bill Polson (administrator)

Central Caledonian (Forth Valley) – Steven Fryer (Head Coach), a player-coach from Brisbane with Dunfermline over the past season, formerly with the Queensland Cricket Association, who has now settled in Scotland with his family

Tayside & Fife Caledonian (Fife, Perth & Kinross, Dundee and Angus) – Clarence Parfitt (Head Coach), Dick Auchinleck (administrator)

Highland & Grampian Caledonian (Grampian & Highland) – Adam Park-Elliott (Head Coach), currently part-time Development Office for this area, Sharon Asher (administrator), an Active Schools Co-ordinator already involved with cricket in this area over the past two years.

Regional Academies will bring together the best cricketers in each area of Scotland for an intensive training and match programme. Academy squads will be run at U14, U16 and U18 levels and, in addition to sports-specific coaching, will provide players with support services such as fitness and conditioning, sports psychology and lifestyle management.

Craig Wright, Cricket Scotland’s Performance Development Manager, will be overseeing the activities of the new long-term Regional Academy framework. "It’s designed to strengthen the infrastructure of Scottish cricket, and to support the next generation of club and international cricketers," he said. "It will also provide a cohesive and properly-resourced pathway for young players to fulfil their potential within the sport."