Mark Lane, a Community Development Coach at Surrey County Cricket Club, has been called up to the Assistant Coaching position for the England Women’s tour to Australia.

Lane, who has played cricket for Hampshire, Surrey and the minor county of Berkshire, has played a major part in the development of women’s cricket from grass roots to national level in England over the last eight years. He was approached at the beginning of the week to join the England Women’s team in Australia as they go about their campaign of retaining the Ashes.

He has a great deal of international coaching experience, having spent just short of two years in Kenya as the Assistant Coach to the national team. Towards the end of his tenure in 2004, he toured England for the ICC Champions Trophy and witnessed his team compete against both India and Pakistan in the group stages of the competition.

His progression developed further when he joined the likes of former England Assistant Coach Tim Boon, former ECB Academy Director Rod Marsh and former South African captain Kepler Wessels, in Pretoria, South Africa for the ICC High Performance Camps in 2005 and 2006.

In more recent times Lane has taken on the role of the Community Development Coach at Surrey, whilst continuing his work with the development of women’s cricket.

Lane spoke to www.surreycricket.com this morning before flying out to Australia and said:

“The opportunity to work with the England Women’s Team as they fight to retain the Ashes is a huge honour. I am passionate about coaching cricket so the chance to be Assistant Coach to the national team is something I will grab with both hands.”

“They are a talented squad and I can’t wait to play my part in helping them achieve the success they deserve. There is no greater challenge in cricket than England v Australia – bring it on.”

Lane will leave the touring party as they head for the second leg in New Zealand, to return to England to fulfil his contract with Guildford Cricket Club, where he has taken on the role as the Club coach.

He will return to Woodbridge Road, where he skippered Guildford during the 1990s, after a nine year hiatus and help them to regain the success they achieved at the beginning of the century.

“It is something I am really looking forward to. Guildford fought hard last year to remain in the Premier League and with a nucleus of both young and experienced players, I am looking forward to working hard to develop a strong all round team.”

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