Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy raises the bar

Published 5 November 2007

Surrey County Cricket Club have once again raised the high standard of the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy by cutting the new intake for 2007/08 from 14 to just ten members.

Although the match programme was severely curtailed by the weather, another successful year all round for the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy saw Stuart Meaker graduate to a professional contract – the tenth player to do so in five years since the Academy system started. Nevertheless, not resting on its laurels, Academy Director, Gareth Townsend has cut the intake from 14 members to ten, in an attempt to raise the standard even higher.

Accredited by the ECB and delivered by Surrey County Cricket Club, the new intake of players on the Academy will have their own customized development programme designed to strengthen every aspect of their game. Matthew Dunn is the only new member for this year, with the remaining nine players retaining their places. A fast bowler, Dunn impressed during the summer by gaining selection for both the England under 15 and under 16s.

For the second year running, the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy intake has included girls, with Anna Stevenson and Ebony Rainford-Brent both retaining their places for 2007/08.

Commenting on the new intake, the Pemberton Greenish Academy Director, Townsend said: “2007 was a very pleasing year and it was capped off with the news that Stuart had earned a contract with Surrey’s professional staff for 2008.”

He added: “We have cut the intake from 14 to ten in an attempt to raise the standard even higher. Being apart of the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy is an honour and I want the players to realise this.”

The full pemberton greenish squad is as follows:

Tom Winslade, Tom Jewell, Daniel Newton, Tom Lancefield, Muhunthan Harinath, Zafar Ansari, Navid Chaudhry, Matthew Dunn, Ebony Rainford Brent, Anna Stevenson.

Former Pemberton Greenish Academy players to have graduated into professional cricket are as follows: Neil Saker, Jade Dernbach, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Chris Murtagh, Arun Harinath, Simon King, Laurie Evans, Matthew Spriegel, Stuart Meaker, David Balcombe (Hampshire).