News

Jack Working Towards Regular Place

13 February 2012

Jack Taylor has been talking exclusively to this website about winter training and his hopes for the coming season.

The young off-spinner aims to become a first team regular in all forms of the game and has been working hard towards that objective.

He said: “We all have our own set training schedules and planners consisting of batting, bowling and fielding, plus running based activities.

“I like the variety. It has been a tough winter, but I am really enjoying working on my skills in preparation for the new season.

“Last winter I was in Australia and I gained massively from that experience, as I am sure Ed Young is doing this winter.

“Being away from home for a long spell gave me time to grow up both in and out of the game. I had to be more self-sufficient and I got really fit from the intensity of the training.

“It was about 40 degrees most days over there so it was a lot different to over here. But I also feel I am gaining from being at home this year looking to better my strengths and improve on my weaknesses.

“For a while now we have upped the intensity and got into the nets, which was the next part of our programme building up to pre-season, which starts next month.

“Since Christmas the bowlers have been bowling at the batsmen and you then start to get a bit of competitive edge. It’s good fun and hard work.”

Jack knows that to earn selection in Championship and one-day cricket he has to build on the promise he has shown so far.

“With my bowling it’s a question of improving my consistency,” he said. “I want to put myself in the frame for selection in Championship games, as well as one-day cricket right from the word go.

“I also need to work on my one-day skills to achieve greater variation and get my yorkers in accurately.

“To become a Championship cricketer I have to put the ball in the right areas more often, which will make me more of a threat as a wicket-taker.

“There is a place in the team up for grabs for a spinner and it is a responsibility I want to shoulder this summer.

“As far as my batting is concerned, I view myself as a genuine all-rounder so potentially I was to operate in the middle order. Six or seven in Championship cricket would suit me.

“I batted up the order a couple of times in T20 cricket last year and I would like to think that might continue. Of course, for that to happen I need to get runs.”

Jack accepts that Gloucestershire will need to improve as a team because a number of the young players who burst onto the scene impressively in 2011 will now be better known to their opponents.

But he said: “There is a massive feeling in the dressing room that we can build as a team on what we did last summer.

“We don’t have a huge squad, but there is a great work ethic among the lads and we are looking forward to playing some good hard cricket when the season gets underway.

“We have a lot of youngsters and for many of us last summer was our first as senior players. Other teams will now have seen us and worked out how to play against us.

“That means we will have to be better this year, but everyone has worked so hard that I firmly believe that will be the case.”

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