Olly Hannon-Dalby believes the development of young players around the squad in 2019 stands Warwickshire "in really good stead going forward."
Fast-bowler Hannon-Dalby, who was capped at the end of the season, led the attack impressively throughout the campaign but was one of very few senior squad members not to be hit by serious injury at some point.
These young guys got their chance and showed their skills against top players in the highest standard of domestic cricket in the world. That can only be good for the Bears going forward.
Olly Hannon-Dalby
In the Specsavers County Championship, the Bears’ team included only two ever-presents – Jeetan Patel and Will Rhodes – with the injury crisis peaking in midsummer when, incredibly, there was not one fit contracted seamer on the staff.
But there were a couple of up-sides to that crisis. It highlighted the resilience and spirit within a depleted squad that fought tooth and nail to keep the Bears in Division One. Meanwhile, a clutch of young players received an early first-team chance and none looked out of place, with batsman Rob Yates and seamer George Garrett making a particularly good impression.
“I spoke to someone recently who knows about cricket and who is not at Warwickshire and he said ‘as a club you did brilliantly with all the injuries you had’,” said Hannon-Dalby.
“It was a tough year. We survived in the championship and didn’t do as well as we hoped in the white-ball comps but the young lads getting that experience this early is going to stand the club in really good stead going forward, I’m certain of that.”
“The young lads have had such exposure to first-team cricket. George opened the bowling for the second team all year and then got a chance in the first team and bowled really well and took wickets. Rob Yates has come in and faced some of the best bowlers in the world, people like Stuart Broad, Peter Siddle, Simon Harmer, and scored good runs.
“Dan Mousley and Ethan Brookes have made their first-class debuts. We almost think of Henry Brookes as a senior player now because he has done so well, but he has only just turned 20 and bowled 400 overs in Division One. He did really well and will have learned so much along the way.
“These young guys got their chance and showed their skills against top players in the highest standard of domestic cricket in the world. That can only be good for the Bears going forward.”
