Top, Mike Atherton with Graham Sprack. Below, Atherton presents a certificate to Ron Cook.
CRICKETTWO Island cricket coaches have been recognised for their outstanding services to the grassroots element of the sport.
Graham Sprack, from Newport, and Ron Cook, from Seaview, were both presented with a coaching certificate by former England captain and current cricket broadcaster and journalist Mike Atherton, as part of the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme.
The duo met Atherton along with 13 other coaches on the pitch at the Brit Oval, during lunch at the England test match against Pakistan.
More than 100 coaches from across the UK are being acknowledged by the programme’s Reward and Recognition scheme.
Disabled cricketer Graham coaches in a variety of disabled and non-disabled roles and has done so for a decade.
He plays and coaches with the IW Disabilities XI, works with juniors at Northwood and represents the club in schools through the ECB’s Chance to Shine programme.
Graham said: "It has been a lovely day and good to see the best cricketers in the world playing properly, as in not Twenty20!"
Ron has been involved in grassroots cricket for more than 25 years, and is currently secretary and under-13 coach at Ventnor, and is also the Island’s Chance to Shine co-ordinator.
He said: "I work mainly with the under-11 age group and there are lots of youngsters, but we are short of adults in the club.
"The Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Progra-mme is very important to us as it encourages more involvement at grass roots, which will in time feed our senior teams.
"It’s been a super day and I really appreciate all the work that has gone into it."