2015 gave me the most amazing coaching experience of my career.

It was a huge privilege to work with a top group of blokes who taught me heaps about desire, commitment and team-work. All the more incredible given that the average age of the team was 14.

In December 2014 I inherited a team who had lost 70% of their games in the previous season. Feedback from that year centred on a lack of leadership, the selfishness of one or two key players and the general lack of cricketing ability.

12 months on and largely the same of players lifted the England Schools Cricket Association National T20 Cup.

So how did this group of players do it?

They weren't that bad in the first place

It was obvious in the first few sessions that there was some talent in the group; they just didn’t recognise or believe it. We needed to instil confidence by getting the players to recognise their little successes in practice and more importantly, in their behaviours around the environment.

For example, picking up the balls at the end of the session or offering to give a team mate some catching practice were things that we praised more than a fantastic cover drive. When those types of behaviours became the norm, we moved on to praising the next group of behaviours that we wanted to develop.

Raise the bar of expectation

I told them at the outset that I wanted a team of world class

• Catchers
• Non-Strikers (or “back-er-uppers” as I call them)
• Run Stealers
• Run Savers
• Partnership builders
• Divers in the field and between the wickets
• Balcony watchers
• Specialist fielders in specific positions
• Blokes (to be a Top Team Mate)
• Reviewers (using the “STOP, START, CONTINUE” process)

The coaches were initially relentless in their pursuit of these basic actions. But soon the players started to run these areas for us. They became very good at each one.

Increase internal competition

Communication with feeder team coaches was crucial. The U15A and B team players were aware of these conversations taking place. It meant that every run and wicket acted as valid currency towards selection.

We replicated this with the U14 coaching staff. We never promoted someone just to make the numbers up. They would bat and bowl in the same position as they did in the U14s or the U15B side. An example of this was that both the National Cup winning opening batters performed the same role in the U14A team.

One Captain, 11 Leaders

An easy thing to say: Very difficult to do.

Tom Bevan captained the side brilliantly throughout the year. Tom always leads from the front. Ned Dunning was a magnificent vice-captain.

Ned was also my “environment barometer”. Ned knew how people are feeling and would always have a quiet word if he thought that we needed to change tact or approach.

Toby Dennis emailed me in the holidays to say that he had organised a practice for the boys who had not played a lot since the end of term. He asked me to come along and coach at the session.

Sam Young, our deep cover fielder, takes a panoramic view of the game from his perch. When a fielder’s angle is off, when we have a poorly set field or if there are not enough people in the circle then Sam will make a change. Tom Bevan encourages Sam to do this.

Charlie Hannan greets his team mates with a strong handshake and a broad smile at every match, practice or review session. You can’t help but feel positive when Charlie is around. He sets the tone, he sets the environment.

Every player added leadership in their own way.

Master the basics

“If we do our normal things well then it’s going to take an exceptional individual performance to beat us” became their mantra.

There were some really good individuals against us along the way but the team knew that an opposition bowler could only deliver 24 balls and that the gun opposition batter would give a chance at some stage. They also knew that every man was good enough to capitalise on any opportunity that was given.

I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing teams who had players within them who have won National Trophies, World Cups and Ashes Series.

But the 2015 Millfield U15As are the best team have worked with to date.

By a country mile.