Steelbacks are bowled over by University sports students and facilities

Players from Northamptonshire County Cricket Club were far from ‘stumped’ by the expert advice and support available for professional teams at the University following pre-season testing at Waterside Campus.

Fifteen members of the Steelbacks first team squad spent the day in the University’s sport science lab taking part in tests designed to assess their fitness and help improve their playing performance.

The day’s activities were led by students from the University’s Sport Rehabilitation and Conditioning, Sport and Exercise Science and MSc Sport degrees allowing them to put their theoretical knowledge into hands-on practice, all supervised by University academics.

Following a day of exertion and evaluation, the players gave the students and Waterside a resoundingly high score.

Adam Rossington, Red-Ball Captain, said: ”It’s great to come down and see the new facility and what’s available for us as players. Despite a tough physical day, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I’m sure the support staff are going to gain some valuable data to help us move forward as a team.”

Josh Cobb, White Ball Captain, added: ”It was good to interact with the students during the testing day and gain an insight into what the testing will lead to for us going forward as a squad. We’ve done similar things in the past but being able to come down to the University and have access to other pieces of equipment has been great.”

Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science Mark Antrobus added “Northamptonshire is a real epicentre of high performance sport, and the Steelbacks are shining example of that.  To work with the cricket team coaches and the players to help them prepare for the season ahead is both a pleasure and a privilege for us.

“It also means that our sport students boost their employability prospects by applying sound sport science research in a real-world environment with elite, high performing athletes.”

The MoU being signed. From left to right: Mark Antrobus, Dr Peter Jones, Dean of Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology John Sinclair, NCCC’s CEO Ray Payne and Steve Crook, NCCC’s Head of Sponsorship & Commercial Partnerships.

To round-off the day, a new Memorandum of Understanding between the University and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club was signed by John Sinclair, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology and Ray Payne, NCCC’s Chief Executive, to formally cement this reciprocal working.

Find out more about the range of sport and exercise undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of Northampton.