Captain Marvel Steven reveals his team’s title-winning secrets
Last updated 11:48, Thursday, 04 September 2008
WORKINGTON retained their North Lancs title on Saturday with a match to spare – but ambitious young skipper Steven Benson has already set his sights on going one better next season.BENSON, who in addition to his other roles is also club secretary, hopes to retain the captaincy next season. And he is no stranger to responsibility, having funded a six-month trip to Australia at just 19, developing his playing and coaching skills at a club in Melbourne.
“Obviously we would like to defend the title, but hopefully we can also win one of the cups and do the double,” said Benson, in his first year at the helm.
Pro Simon Beare has enjoyed another effective season, after missing the opening five games of the campaign. And Benson revealed the Kiwi would return for a fifth season next year.
But Workington have proved much more than a one-man team in the Premier League this season.
“I don’t think anyone’s scored more than 600 runs,” added the captain. “We’ve all just dug in.”
Colin Bickerstaffe, North Lancs secretary, believes the Allerdale outfit are worthy champions.
He said: “The word for Workington is team. If the one, two or three fail to score runs, the middle order is good enough to pull the game around.
“I believe Matthew Gorley is the best seam bowler in the league, and Simon James’s had a rebirth. He’s bowled and batted well,and won a couple of games for them.
“Their pro is really a coach but he has the magic to get them going. At times he might only score two or three, but he can very often get 60 or 70 at vital times. From the start, Workington were always going to be the team to beat.”
After losing their first game of the season at Millom, Workington’s colours have not been lowered in the following 20 league matches. Their impressive run includes 13 wins. And with a superb youth policy in place, Benson is convinced the team will only get stronger.
“The Cumbria Junior League has come a long way since I started playing,” he said. “At our club we have two teams at each age level (Under-11, 13 and 15). It’s brilliant. In a couple of years’ time there will be a selection headache, with players coming through.”
Opening bowler Dan McDermott is currently making his mark at county Under-17 level.
Bickerstaffe noted: “Whenever you go to watch a game at Workington, or umpire, there are always scores of kids in the nets.”
At 21, Benson is one of cricket’s youngest skippers, and he modestly plays down his impact on the team.
“We vote for the captain at the AGM and no one else stood,” he explained. “We have three vice-captains in the team, and the pro brings a lot of experience and always gives good advice.
“I haven’t had to do too much this year. I’ve just stood and watched everyone else score the runs. We’d won a trophy for the past three seasons, so it was nice to follow on.”
“Even though it’s amateur cricket, they take it a lot more seriously over there,” he declared. “They employ a captain and a coach.”
He later beat off competition from around the country to land the English Cricket Board’s award for Young Volunteer of the Year.
Ex-international star Mark Ramprakash and England women’s captain Charlotte Edwards presentedBenson’s trophy at a ceremony at Lord’s.
He will lead his club for the final time this term at Keswick on Saturday, when the pressure will be off.
He said: “We can now enjoy the next game, swap it around a bit and give everyone a go.”
