FORT James, sponsors of the Bolton League, are funding a three day school of excellence for talented, young cricketers. It follows last year's successful weekend when 18 promising players underwent specialist training at Rivington and Blackrod High School plus lectures and discusssions at their residential base, the Jarvis Georgian House Hotel, Blackrod.

English cricket board staff coaches Jim Kenyon and Richard Dearden will head the coaching squad assisted by ECB senior coaches Steven Davies, Jon Partington, Paul Tebay - all Bolton League players - and Henry Porteous. The players get together tomorrow at the Georgian House and open with discussions on sports psychology, diet and captaincy while on Saturday there is extensive coaching, recorded on video, which will later be assessed.

Further training sessions, one-to-one and group work continue on Sunday at Rivington High School followed by lunch and presentations. Fort James have undertaken to continue their sponsorship of the school of excellence for a further three years as part of their backing for the Bolton League.

The young cricketers invited on the course are: William Halton, Alex Dunn, Matthew McGuinness, Adam McLoughlin, Daniel Guest, Adam Lawson, Tim Rees, Philip Dickenson, Joshua Cunliffe, Nigel Hallows, Gareth Carson, Sean Morris, Gareth Ellison, Richard Hamblett, Jordan Thornley, Neil Tong, Karl Bates and Mark Atherton.

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