Gurney ready for new season

Date: Thursday 11 March 2010

In the first of a two-part interview, Harry Gurney talks us through the work put in by the Leicestershire squad over the winter; including the trip to Potchefstroom and the winter programme as a whole.

Left-arm seamer Gurney’s pre-season preparations have been hit by a recent quad injury, but the young bowler still made the most of the trip to South Africa to get fully fit ready for the new season.

Gurney picked up the problem a week into the tour but he and Senior Coach Tim Boon decided it was better to work on rehab in a warmer climate.

That decision has paid off as Gurney feels he will be ready to tackle the start of pre-season next Monday.

He said: “I should be fine for Monday. I pulled my quad originally three weeks ago and tried to come back a week later.

“So I have had two full weeks of rehab and should be okay for Monday. The first week will not have too much intense bowling so I should be able to play a full part in pre-season.”

The 23-year-old thinks the Potchefstroom experience benefited everybody. It involved plenty of hard work and was a natural continuation of the enhanced winter programme.

“The trip to Potchefstroom was pre-season training rather than a tour,” he said. “We were based in Potchefstroom the whole time.

“There were three or four games that were played that were treated as practice or warm-up games rather than a big emphasis placed on the result.

“Batsmen had time in the middle and bowlers were able to bowl spells in warm conditions, all of which was beneficial.

“It was good to get outdoors and there is also a world-class gym there. Athletes from all around the world travel to Potchefstroom just to use the facilities. We had access to that on a daily basis so in terms of pre-season preparation, it was great.

“There was lots of gym training and fitness work, which involved running on the track and sprints. There was lots of net sessions and games to get match specifics up to scratch.

“It was a good opportunity for guys who picked up niggles, like myself, to do rehab work and it has got us in the best possible position to take the season on.”

Gurney said the season has come round quickly – as it always seems to – and thinks the Club are in a good position to progress this term

“It’s amazing how quickly it comes round,” he said. “It seems like yesterday that we finished last season and went away for our four-week break in October.

“Then we started our winter training programme and then went to Potchefstroom and again, it feels like yesterday when we landed there!

“But here we are, with a week to go until the start of the official pre-season. There will be some cold days and hard work coming up but the lads are well up for it.”

The winter programme devised by Boon and his backroom staff have allowed the players to continue their work throughout the winter. Gurney said this has had a duel positive effect; on physical and mental fitness, and team cohesion.

He said: “The whole arrangement has just allowed us to be a bit more professional about everything. The way the contracts are now structured allows us to fully commit to the winter training programme which has been absolutely great.

“In previous winters, people went away and did work themselves but people had to fit their training around other winter work. But now we have been able to come in and train as a young group of players which can only be beneficial.

“We have had compulsory sessions with the coaches three times a week but we have also formed small groups and done other training together too.

“It has certainly - from both a team and physical perspective - put us in a much better place than we were this time last season.

“In previous years, new signings – and even people on the staff – would not always see each other again until the middle of March because of other commitments.

“It has been beneficial for people like Will Jefferson to come in and meet and work with everyone. We feel like we know Jeffo (Will Jefferson) like everyone else, he’s already become one of the lads now which will have helped him.

“It’s also allowed players like Greg (Smith), Titch (James Taylor) and Bucky (Nathan Buck) – who have had other commitments – to dip back into things when they have been about.

“It’s been great having guys like Dan Masters, Popey (Joel Pope) and Benno (James Benning) who have been Southern-based to come up each week and practice with everyone too. So the programme has benefited everyone and we have all enjoyed it.”

With team spirit and a collective work ethic of massive importance in a long season, Gurney feels that having regular contact over the winter ill have helped the squad.

When times are hard, everyone needs to fight for each other; particularly in t20 cricket. Gurney thinks the fact that players have practiced together all winter can be a key factor in the competition later this summer.

He said: “Teamwork is very important, particularly in the shortened format of the game. We showed that last year; we really pulled together as a side in t20 and surprised quite a few people.

“Our side on paper would not have put us as favourites in most of the games but we put in some good performances.

"This year, we’ve made good signings such as Brad Hodge, Hoggy, Andrew McDonald, Jeffo and Benno, so we have an even better side on paper and if we can maintain our team spirit as I’m sure we will, then we can be a force in the competition. That’s what we hope to achieve.”

* In the second part of the interview, Harry looks further ahead to the new season.