Dominic Cork (Lancashire)
Lancashire all rounder Dominic Cork is nearing the end of his seventeenth season as a professional cricketer. Here he reveals his hunger for a first championship title and his thoughts on the health of county cricket.
We’re coming to the end of another tough season of county cricket. Are you still fresh and ready to play?
Oh yeah, you have got to be like that. We are joint top of the county championship and have got a chance. I’ve never been in this position with any other club and it’s an exciting end to the season. It was disappointing we lost the C&G Final. To get there is a good effort – it was a great atmosphere on the day. But it always leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you don’t get the result you want.
You have had success at county level and with England. But what would it mean to you to win the county championship?
You want to win competitions and the four day competition is certainly up there. Lancashire have not won it since 1932 and there is a lot of expectation up in the north. We have got an opportunity but Sussex are not just going to lie down and let us win the league. It’s going to be tight and exciting. I want to win it because I have never done it before and it’s a feat most cricketers want to do.
Has there been more expectation on you up at Lancashire rather than Derbyshire?
Not really. With so many good players in your side, the weight of expectation is taken off you because there are other guys out there who can win games. The likes of Stu Law, Mal Loye, Sajid Mahmood, Jimmy Anderson, Glen Chapple and Flintoff when he plays. There are some very fine cricketers up there and you seem to enjoy your cricket more because you can go in there and know if it’s not your day there are other people who will do it. Its been enjoyable for the last three seasons.
And how is the body?
I feel ok. We do a lot of work on fitness at Lancashire. We’re on twelve month contracts and start pre-season training on December 1st every year. So you have got a four month build up which is quite intense with fitness and technical work. I feel good at the moment although I have had some silly injuries this season that I have not had before like dislocated fingers and being hit on the legs standing at bat-pad. But other than that, everything has gone well.
You have a vast amount of experience in professional cricket. How do you see the current health of the domestic game?
I think it’s good. It’s strong and very competitive. There are a lot of teams out there who are pushing to be successful. And there are good structures within clubs – they have got academies now and are trying to bring through their youth system and home grown players. And you can see with how England are doing, that guys who have come through a very strong county system are reaping the rewards playing for their country and being successful. So I think it’s in good shape.
The one thing that perhaps has changed is pace bowling. I don’t think there is as much in county cricket as there was. Most teams had two or three genuine quick bowlers – maybe this had a lot to do with overseas signings. But when the England guys are out like the Harmison, Flintoff, Simon Jones - there isn’t as much pace. But other than that everything seems to be in good stead.
And once the season is done, how will you spend your time up until Christmas?
It’s been a long season and we have got thirteen days competitive cricket left. I’ve still enjoyed it, but once that end of season comes I will be well away from cricket and enjoying myself, switching off from what is a very intense game.
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