Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

183 of his father. He works tirelessly to keep the school going and in 1991 introduced an indoor league in the autumn to both bring in the finances to keep the school going and provide fun and an instructive format – to stem the dullness of the close season. That indoor league flourishes to this day as does Stephen’s continuance of the coaching facility. He has been a fine league cricketer – and a stalwart of the Boxing Day fixture. Peter Hepworth Peter was coached by Johnny and by Stephen and had a first class career with Leicestershire from 1988 to 1994. Ashley Metcalfe Ashley Metcalfe was an attractive batsman and a rising star who played for Young England and continued to have a very successful career for 12 years with Yorkshire – and then two years at Nottinghamshire. He averaged over 34 in first-class matches but many felt he should have gone on to better things still. Perhaps it was his carefree spirit that actually prevented him doing so but he never failed to entertain. He tells me that he spent many of his formative years – particularly aged 13 to 16, attending the Rothwell nets and having coaching from Johnny and brother Sam – and then did go to Tadcaster, though not as often as it was further to travel. ”In my generation he coached the likes of Tim Boon, Steven Rhodes and Neil Lloyd” – the latter that great prospect of a player who sadly died aged 17 before his career could develop. Talking to me, Ashley reflected on those great times when being encouraged to play in a natural way gave him so much pleasure. “Johnny was the first coach to give me a cricketing game plan – thinking about the bowler’s field settings and how to deal with them.” At that time, “there were so few facilities around for young aspiring cricketers it’s untrue, and when introduced his A few of his proteges