Pat Brown says he owes a special thank you to Worcestershire CCC strengthening and conditioning coach Ross Dewar and bowling coach Matt Mason after making his first team breakthrough.
Lincolnshire-born Brown attended a ‘Cricket Strength Pace Factor Day’ at Wellington School, Somerset run by Dewar and former county pro Steffan Jones as part of their company cricketstrength.com
But also in attendance was Mason along with coaches from other counties and he quickly identified the potential of Brown.
The 18-year-old obtained a cricket scholarship at Worcester University – a path also taken by the likes of Daryl Mitchell and George Rhodes – and created a favourable impression
Now he has followed another promising paceman Josh Tongue in making his Specsavers County Championship debut -in the last game with Sussex at New Road – after playing in several NatWest T20 Blast matches
Brown, who is in the squad for this evening’s final NatWest T20 Blast clash with Derbyshire, recalled: “Ross Dewar has a cricket strength company with Steffan Jones who used to play county cricket.
“Basically I just got in touch with them, started getting some strength programmes because where I was, there was no real strength and conditioning things.
“Where I was (in Lincolnshire) there was no obvious pathway to get into professional cricket.
“They (cricketstrength.com) had a trial day where a few first class coaches came, Mase came, the Somerset coach came, Jason Kerr, the Surrey coach and another.
“I basically took a punt to see what could happen. They clocked bowling speeds and all the coaches had a look and I got invited to trials at six counties in the end and basically chose Worcestershire.
“It was the farthest away for me (from Lincolnshire) but I just got a better feeling about Worcestershire.
“I just wanted to see how quick I could bowl and it was the best thing I ever done.”
Brown added: “Mase spotted me that day. If it wasn’t for him seeing the potential in me, then I wouldn’t be here.
“Dewsy has helped me a lot. I could always send Dewsy a message and he’d help me out with stuff. He is a brilliant point of contact.
“But Bumpy (Director Of Cricket Steve Rhodes) has also given me the chance to have my scholarship so he believes in me. I think he likes my passion.”
Dewar recalled: “Pat came to one of our Cricket Strength Pace Factor days for young fast bowlers who might have been missed by counties.
“He had several other counties in for him after that and chose Worcestershire.”
*Read a full interview with Pat Brown on the Worcestershire CCC website during the next few days.
