Banbury Cricket Club are delighted to welcome Jack Brooks as our new 'Head Coach' for the 2024 season, with the option of a second year.
The 39 year old fast bowler has had a stellar first class career, with 661 scalps across all formats. A career which started in club and minor county cricket across Oxfordshire before representing Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and most recently Somerset where he was part of the Vitality T20 Blast winning squad in 2023.
The double County Championship winner also has a proud coaching track record, utilising his Level 3 coaching badge. His work, in particular with the Western Storm, has been gaining praise and accolades across the game, including from England's Lauren Filer, for revolutionising her action before the record breaking 2023 Ashes Summer!
As part of Jack's role at Banbury, he will also represent our 1st XI in a number of fixtures during the Home Counties Premier League season. This is alongside his coaching, where he will lead our Senior Training, supported by a wealth of knowledge from our existing group of club coaches.
Jack will also work with some of our talented young cricketers and up and coming coaches, as we continue to build the foundations for the future of Banbury CC.
On his signing, Jack had this to say:
"Having moved back into the area I'm thrilled to start a new journey into coaching.
I was once a young, local and aspiring cricketer hungry to succeed and willing to work hard, with the right knowledge & support I was able to be a part of a HCPL winning side at Oxford CC and go on to live out my dreams as a professional.
I'm confident I'll be able to help assist & improve some talented local players while also helping them achieve team success with Banbury CC.
Further onto this I am thankful for Banbury's support in helping me with a location for my own private coaching business; re-establishing a relationship with the Oxfordshire cricket community as well as helping to develop the players & coaches within the club.
With the commitment to work hard and have some fun this should be an exciting time for myself and Banbury going forward."
Club Chairman, Martin Phillips commented:
"On a personal note, having been involved at Oxfordshire Cricket when Jack was only in his mid-teens, I have enjoyed watching from afar how Jack has progressed throughout the whole of his professional career, so now for Jack to be joining Banbury I am absolutely delighted. Jack will bring so much to the club on and off the field, and I know his enthusiasm for the game is infectious and will rub off on others at the club."
We hope you will all join us in giving Jack a very warm welcome to the club!