If the name's Tremlett, the game's cricket

Anand Vasu

January 16, 2001

Maurice Tremlett played for over a decade for Somerset from 1947 onwards. He played three Test matches for England against West Indies during that winter. Nothing very spectacular.

Chris Tremlett is a tall lad, well over six and a half feet tall, and bowls mediumpace and bats in the middle order. Born in 1981, he's here in India as a key member of the England Under-19 team. He's taken six wickets in first class cricket including a career best 4-16 for Hampshire. Nothing to write home about.

Well, the fact that Chris Tremlett is Maurice's grandson sets one's curiousity a bit. When Tim Tremlett, the manager of the England side happens to Maurice's son and Chris' father, the story really gets interesting.

As it turns out, Tim is a thoughful and softspoken man. Mild mannered and always ready to have a quiet word, Tim thinks a lot about the game at hand. With the two Tremletts on this tour reaching India late on account of a family bereavement, one expected them to take a bit of time to acclimatise. Not so at all. After Chris Tremlett top scored in England Under-19s first innings against South Zone, a delighted Tim Tremlett spoke exclusively to CricInfo.

AV: The English batsmen have found it very hard to score quickly in Indian conditions...

TT: They certianly have. The England batsmen have been taught a lesson by their Indian counterparts. Especially the way they play their shots and use their feet - both against the seam bowlers and the slower bowlers.

AV: You have been involved with cricket in Hampshire for many years now. What is the key difference between there and here?

TT: When you go around India, whether it's in Mumbai or in Chennai, the interest in the game of cricket is phenomenal. If you just look across the field even now, there are so many youngsters playing cricket. They are playing on just a rough piece of ground. The spinners are turning the ball appreciably and the batsmen are using their feet and they are only nine and ten year olds. It's wonderful to see them getting used to how to control a bat properly.

AV: England's strength has traditionally been swing and seam. With the two spinners not really living upto expectations, would the team go back to their strengths for the second Test?

TT: There's a strong possibility that there will be a change in the game plan. I think Monty Panesar will get a long spell tomorrow and hopefully he can find his form. But you have to remember that these boys are coming out of an English winter where they have only been playing indoors. Coming out here and playing outdoors in these conditions is a different kettle of fish altogether. To come out here and put the ball in the right place against batsmen who know what they are doing can be quite difficult. Hopefully we'll get our confidence up before the next `Test'. Obviously we need to do a lot of hard thinking between now and when the match starts with regards to which team we select.

AV: Your son, Chris Tremlett topscored today, batting very sensibly. You must be very proud...

TT: It's always nice when he does well. I have quite a few butterflies in my stomach when he's playing, whether it's batting or bowling. In cricketing terms, he's got quite a mature head on his shoulders. I'm delighted that he did well today.

AV: The Tremlett name has been associated with cricket for a long, long time has it not?

TT: It certainly has. My father played for Somerset and England between 1947 and 1960. He played three Test matches for England in that period. As soon as he finished his playing career, he moved to Southampton, which is in Hampshire. That's the reason for my association with Hampshire rather than Somerset.

AV: There's a lot of talk about the England batsmen having a long stint at the wicket and getting batting practice. Perhaps it would work out better for England if the batsmen went after the spinners instead...

TT: I think you've hit the nail on the head. When Gary Pratt and Ian Bell were batting well, they were both playing their shots. That sets the field back. Once the field is back, a lot more gaps open up. This has more to do with lack of confidence than anything else, certainly with one or two of the middle order players. Their lack of confidence is showing in their strokeplay. They get a bit strokeless and then the pressure begins to mount. If you can take on the bowler and hit him a bit, then you put a bit of the pressure back on the bowling side. That certainly helps your cause a great deal.

© Cricinfo

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Series/Tournaments

England Under-19s in India Youth ODI Series

England Under-19s in India Youth Test Series

England Under-19s tour of India

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India