Ex-coach Brown praises retiring captain

Nick Garnham

FORMER Suffolk cricket coach Andy Brown has added his voice to the chorus of approval for retiring captain Phil Caley.

Brown spent seven seasons with Suffolk, running the Minor Counties side in tandem with director of cricket Kevin Brooks, before leaving the county after the 2007 season to return to former county Derbyshire, where he is now on the coaching staff.

Brown said: “When I came to Suffolk in 2001 Minor Counties cricket had just gone from two-day to three-day cricket, and without Phil's support for what we were trying to achieve and the way we were wanting to go about things we would not have enjoyed the success we did.

“Phil was right behind us when it came to introducing nutrition, hydration and fitness programmes for the players which helped us to compete over three days, rather than two, and enabled us to become a successful unit.

“A lot of people who knew Phil would not have thought he would have been very supportive of that but he was right behind it.”

Caley announced last week that he was standing down as Suffolk skipper after 15 years in charge, and at the age of 46 the curtain is close to coming down on his 27-year Minor County career.

Brown continued: “As a captain he had his own ideas. We chatted about things and although we didn't always agree we worked well as a team. He was never closed to trying something new. He was very open to new theories and ideas.”

Brown also paid tribute to Caley's contribution to Minor Counties cricket over the years.

“Phil has been a magnificent servant to Minor Counties cricket, not just to Suffolk, and without him the Minor Counties might not be as strong as it is now. Other counties have seen what Suffolk have achieved and have done it the same way.”