Alex Hartley delivers spin masterclass for age group cricketers

Alex Hartley delivered a masterclass session on spin bowling for Lancashire’s age group players. Hartley and Jen Barden, Lancashire’s head of women and girls’ cricket, took a comprehensive look at spin bowling, talking about the basics of spin, coaching points and how to work on technique as youngsters return to the nets.



Hartley was part of England's 2017 World Cup-winning squad, taking 10 wickets in the tournament to finish as England's second-highest wicket-taker. Since her debut in 2016, the left-arm spinner has played 32 internationals, accounting for 42 wickets across formats.



The 26-year-old, who has also played for Lancashire Thunder in the Women's Cricket Super League and Hobart Hurricanes in the Women's Big Bash League in Australia, spoke about transition she made from pace bowling to left-arm spin, and how she then became one of her team's lead spinners. She offered valuable insights about the mindset and skills of an international bowler in the question and answer session.



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Barden thanked Hartley for offering her insights on what it takes to succeed at the top level. “It is not every day you get to pick the brains of a Cricket World Cup winner and I’ve no doubt everyone who was involved went away with an enhanced knowledge of spin bowling and how to improve their respective games,” she said.



Hartley’s masterclass was the latest among the online sessions started by Barden and Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s performance director, for club’s young cricketers through the lockdown. Other classes included sessions with Chilton himself, Graham Onions and Steven Croft. They also conducted fitness sessions run by Lancashire players Emma Lamb, Keaton Jennings and a host of others.



“The online masterclass sessions have been a huge hit so far and it’s credit to both the players for taking the time to pass on their knowledge, but also to our Age Group youngsters for showing the willingness to learn during what has been a tough period without cricket," Barden concluded.