Great catch

Mark Greatbach considers himself a very lucky man to have been chosen as Warwickshire's new director of coaching - and not just because, in the space of 18 months in the UK since moving from New Zealand, he has graduated from coaching at Giggleswick School to the Warwickshire academy and now to a three-year contract in the top job at Edgbaston.

He may have considerable shoes to fill in following John Inverarity's successful three-year stint as coach but Greatbatch believes he has come to the club at a most opportune time. "I'm very excited by the possibilities," he says. "The great thing is that there are a lot of very good players here who are at an age where they are only going to get better and I know from working with the academy that the future is bright in the longer term as well. Most of the elements are in place for this club to be very successful."

Greatbatch, 41, who played 41 Tests for New Zealand, was coach of Central Districts before moving to Britain. "I hoped when I moved here that this sort of opportunity might arrive and, although it has possibly come a bit sooner than I expected, I'm ready for the challenge and can't wait to get going," he says.

When the Bears won the Championship in 2004 Nick Knight, the captain, admitted it had happened more quickly than anticipated and that his team was still developing, so Greatbatch's hopes may be well founded. One of his primary tasks will be to look at a successor to Knight, who has stepped down after two seasons in charge. A new era dawns at Edgbaston.

Player of the Year Jonathan Trott
who was outstanding in one-day cricket and, despite an inconsistent Championship campaign, still passed 1,000 first-class runs. High Securing promotion in the totesport League, confirmation of their growing potency in one-day cricket.
Low The desperately disappointing defeat by Hampshire in the C&G final.