ECB Coaches Association links Hitting the Seam 39 | Page 9

Sunny continued to excel and through playing
cricket he began to develop his social skills
as well. PE Teacher, and Sunny’s Head of Year,
Patrick Williams, said: “Sunny was quite a shy
boy, didn’t relate to anyone, any sport, any thing.
Eaton took him aside and helped to develop his
techniques. He started to come out of his shell, his
behaviour improved.
“Sunny’s cricketing performance affected
his academic performance, his English was
improving...a lot of the other kids started to look
up to him.”
Eaton put Sunny forward for county trials at
Warwickshire and it was then he began to take
his cricket very seriously. “After I got into the
[Warwickshire] under-16s I started to think like
I could make it! I had to give up a lot of things;
gave up spending time with my mates so I could
be training everyday and, yeah, I lost a few mates
at a young age.”
But Sunny sees that he’s in a better position
having got into cricket. “Sport is one of the
best things that you could actually go and do.
Otherwise kids can get into bad things, drugs and
stuff like that, bad habits.”
Sunny was recommended to attend a
six-month course at the Darren Lehmann
Academy in Adelaide by England Spin Coach
Peter Such. Sunny cites this as a hugely beneficial
learning experience despite initial difficulties.
“I was homesick for the first three months but I
thought I’ve got to stick with it and then during
the last three months I started to enjoy myself
and I really started to perform.
“I came back a better person, I’d grown up a bit
more and I’d learnt how to look after myself. I was
stronger and I could bowl more overs.”
No man has been prouder than Eaton, keeping
up to date with Sunny’s debut on his phone. “I
followed it from the start. My feeling inside was
as if I was doing it myself, as if I was walking on to
the field. It made me feel 10 miles tall.”
Sunny is taking his success in his stride but knows
that his work ethic and commitment will need
to continue. “Next for me is to become a regular
first-team cricketer, to get that spot and make
it my spot, be taking 50 wickets in a season
and playing all three formats for Warwickshire.
Obviously the dream is to play for England –
that’s everyone’s dream, to play for England and
to play in the Ashes.” Given the distance he’s
travelled to get to where he is today, those next
steps won’t seem nearly as daunting.
Luke Swanson, then Chief Executive at Chance to
Shine, said: “As Sunny begins to make his mark in
the professional game, each year we are inspiring
hundreds of thousands of youngsters to take their
first steps to play cricket, enjoy it and learn from
it. Very few will match Sunny’s achievements in
the game, however every single one deserves
their chance to shine.”
Sunny is in no doubt as to whom he owes his
career to . “Since I was 13 he helped me so much,
he’s given me a lot. Without Eaton there wouldn’t
be Sunny playing for Warwickshire.”
A longer version of this article can be found on
the Chance to Shine website - chancetoshine.org
Republished here with permission from Chance
to Shine.
“Since I was 13 he helped me so much.
Without Eaton, I wouldn’t be playing for
Warwickshire.” – Sunny Singh (left)
Sunny’s Shining
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