Last week I gave you the first part of my highlights of 2016.

Here are the the rest of my favourites from my top coaching year to date.

5. Unlearning Spin

I thought I had a reasonably good handle on Spin Bowling until I met a guy called Recently in India. He looked at developing finger strength, wrist mobility, wrist alignment and spinning the ball less rather than more! Interested? Keep your eyes peeled on Pitchvision in 2017 to learn more.

4. Fielding Attitudes are contagious

Is yours worth catching? Liam Thomas’ fielding attitude certainly is!

England Disabilities cricketer Liam Thomas produced a terrific bit of fielding despite losing his artificial leg in the process in a match against Pakistan. Liam saved a certain boundary, diving for the ball fielding at fine leg, but while doing so, his prostetic leg came loose, leaving him to have to hop to the ball in order to return it. It was the kind of desperation and desire that top quality fielders demonstrate all the time.

I show all the players at school this clip as to me it sums up the vision of fielding that I have in my head without me having to say a word. Use Liam’s video ahead of an upcoming fielding session and see how it inspires your team to do things differently.

3. The year of the Anti-Twitter Coach

It was fantastic to see my old Hampshire team mate, Richard Scott, lead his Middlesex troops to the County Championship in an exhilarating final day in September.

Scotty came into professional coaching fairly late in his career working his way up the coaching ladder at Middlesex. He has done this without banging his own drum, without telling the world how ‘unique’ he is as a coach nor trying to sell his methods and approaches to the world.

He has been the man sitting behind the team, the one who promotes others rather than himself, who supports and challenges in subtle and carefully considered ways and someone who takes no credit for the continual player development that has obviously happened on his watch.

Most people wouldn’t know what Richard looked like or recognise his voice yet in this world of Twitter, self projection and self-publicity he has achieved the ultimate in domestic professional cricket by coaching his Middlesex team to an unbeaten championship winning year. It’s been the year of the Anti-Twitter Coach!

2. The Triple Crown

Millfield Became the first school in UK history to win three National Cup competitions in the same season during 2016.

Sam Young’s U15 Team retained the National T20 Cup at Arundel in September with a comprehensive eight wicket victory against Warwick School. Over 1000 schools enter this competition each year so it’s no mean feat to win that for a second successive season.

Fin Trenouth’s ‘Atkinsons XI’ beat Shrewsbury School by 90 runs to take the School Sport Magazine U17 National Cup and Tom Lace’s ‘Meyers XI’ dominated the U18 T20 Cup defeating Wellington, Cranleigh and Bedford in the final 3 rounds to come complete the hat-trick of National Titles.

Congrats to all of the players and coaches involved in this historic achievement. A special award goes to Dan Helesfay who stepped into the U15 Lead coach and Atkinsons XI Assistant Coach roles in 2016: Top work from an incredibly committed coach.

When you think back to the constraints of not having a designated training venue for the year (no bubble) this makes the achievement all the more sweeter and shows that great things can be achieved through perspiration, inspiration and a hardy attitude!

1. Eight Millfield International Cricketers in 2016

2016 was Millfield cricket’s most successful season of all time.

The icing on the cake for the coaching staff came with four Millfield players performing strongly for England U19 Squad in Test and ODI cricket against Sri Lanka in July and August.

Congrats to Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire), George Hankins (Gloucestershire), George Bartlett (Somerset) and Josh McCoy (Hampshire). Hankins was Man of the ODI Series.

Sam Young became the fifth England International player from Millfield in 2016 with his selection into the ECB/Bunbury U16 Squad towards the end of the year. There were also three other Millfield ICC Associate International players with Jersey and Scotland in 2016. It’s an absolute honour to work with and around all of the players at Millfield and see how each individual develops through their hard work combined with the committed support structures that have been established over the past four years.

So that was my year in highlights. From 10 to 1. How does it compare with your coaching year? Let me know and I will see you in 2017!