JERSEY Cricket have selected former first-class cricketer Darren Thomas as the new head coach of the women’s national team.
He succeeds Lee Meloy, who moved away from the role to take up a new head of operations position within Jersey Cricket.
Thomas, who played for Glamorgan for 15 years between 1992 and 2006, believes “there has never been a better time” to get involved with women’s cricket.
Claiming over 500 first-class wickets, while maintaining a batting average of 20.93, the Welshman, affectionately known as “Ted”, boasts an impressive coaching pedigree to boot.
Stints with Western Storm (a women’s cricket team representing South West England and Wales), Glamorgan Academy and as the national coach of Wales form the bulk of Thomas’s impressive resumé.
He said: “I have coached mostly within men’s cricket for the last 14 years, so I felt like it was the perfect time to test myself in a new environment and continue to develop as a coach.
“The landscape is changing every day with cricket in the women’s game and I don’t think there has been a better time to get involved.
“People are becoming more interested in the women’s game and ultimately the level is continuing to increase to reflect that interest.
“Jersey is a really attractive proposition and it’s a challenge that I am really looking forward to.”
The 52-year-old was set to meet his fledgling national side for a training session last night, with the bulk of the squad made up mostly of teenagers.
With an esteemed former academy coach at the helm, it could prove just the tonic to keep the youthful Caesarean side progressing.
“They are a really young group, from what I’ve seen,” added Thomas.
“I’m really excited to get my feet under the table and see what their capabilities are.
“The primary focus will be on fine tuning those skill sets and offering some tactical knowledge to them.
“Everything I have learned to this point will be challenged, which is honestly quite refreshing.
“You don’t want to get stale as a coach. New opportunities are something I thrive on and I’m ready to embrace a new challenge.”
Thomas’s appointment comes fresh off the back of Paul Hutchison’s move into the men’s head coach role and interim director of Jersey Cricket.
Both coaches bring to the Island a wealth of experience, from playing to coaching, and “Hutch” hopes that this new era can bring about a fresh “hybrid” between the men’s and women’s sides.
“We are really excited to welcome Darren into the set up.
“While he will first and foremost be the women’s head coach, he will also step across into the men’s side.
“The aim is to create a hybrid model and have all the coaches here to fluctuate across and help grow both the teams.
“I have known Ted personally for over 25 years and we were both on an England A tour together in the late 1990s.
“He really knows his stuff. Both from a playing and coaching perspective he’s really well rounded and I’m extremely confident that the players will develop well under his leadership.”
Jersey Cricket chief executive Sarah Gomersall added: “Since joining, I’ve been clear that I want our women and girls to be given the best level of coaching support possible and every chance to deliver on their potential, and I believe Ted’s appointment as head coach will do this.
“We now have a very strong coaching team able to work across women’s, men’s, girls’ and boys’ cricket, and we have a very exciting future.”
