"DMU's partnership with Leicestershire CCC has been the best thing to happen to student cricketers"

Student cricketers are looking forward to their most successful season yet thanks to a partnership with Leicestershire County Cricket Club.  



DMU Cricket say the club has been “transformed” thanks to coaching by Dips Patel, head of the Indoor School at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.

The team have been training with Dips twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays, using the same facilities as the Leicestershire players.

James Fitzgerald, chairman of DMU Cricket - part of De Montfort Students’ Union - said the benefits of the partnership between the club and DMU had been “astronomical”.

He said: “Dips has been the greatest asset to the cricket side, as he has brought a fantastic work ethic and cricket brain to the table. He has installed a level of discipline into the team.

“This has been really refreshing for the society, and all members have responded really well. There has been a real focus on improving our skills and being disciplined enough, to achieve well in all Varsity fixtures and the BUCS leagues this year.”

Before the partnership was put into place, DMU Cricket had no permanent home to train, no coaching and players felt that they could not reach their full potential.

Now they are top of the BUCS Midlands league having won their first two matches. The next challenge is the Varsity against Leicester University on May 20 at Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

The game, which starts at 1pm, is just £5 to watch – with FREE entry to the NatWest T20 Blast game straight afterwards.

“The partnership between DMU and Leicestershire has been the best thing to ever to happen to the club,” said James. “They really are a fantastic group of people who always make us feel welcome and bend over backwards for any kind of proposal I put towards them.

“The work Dips has done planning the sessions and working with us has been incredible and we are looking forward as a club to working with him for many years. “

Dips is one of the few Level 3 cricket coaches in the country, and is also head coach for Loughborough University, and captain of Loughborough Town who are one of the top Premier League clubs in the county.

Dips said he loved working with the team and had seen real improvements since he began to work with them in October. He said: “The boys have been really, really good.
“It’s nice to see the drive they have – they are very serious about improving and working on their game. They turn up every week raring to go and that tells me they are enjoying it.”

This year, DMU renewed its sponsorship of Leicestershire CCC. The partnership offers huge benefits to students off the pitch, with internship opportunities and  working with its community outreach projects.

DMU is also looking to launch a women’s cricket side and get help from the club, which hosts the ICC Women’s World Cup opener on June 20, to do this.

Leicestershire CCC players get free training at DMU’s Queen Elizabeth II Gym and on Friday, DMU student Jack Morton will be 12th man during the Sri Lanka three-dayer.