NEW academy coach Elliot Wilson is relishing the challenge of ensuring Worcestershire’s conveyor belt of young talent continues after Damian D’Oliveira’s death in June.

The legacy left by D’Oliveira is evident in the current first-team squad with 10 of the 11 players who have signed new contracts since the beginning of August being products of the County’s youth policy.

Wilson is working closely with the promising new intake of 15 academy players who have reported for winter duties at Malvern College.

But his focus is also on developing the age sections below so they will be ready to replace the current group when, if all goes to plan, they progress into the senior squad.

He worked over the past 18 months with director of cricket Steve Rhodes, D’Oliveira and coaches Matt Mason, Kevin Sharp and Gavin Haynes to ensure a pathway is in place from the ages of six to 19 so Worcestershire can spot, attract and recruit the best young talent.

They have been working closely with schools, such as Malvern College, Royal Grammar Worcester, Shrewsbury, Bromsgrove and King’s Worcester, who support and enable players to develop via their scholarship schemes.

But there is also a continuing strong link with Worcestershire Cricket Board, who are responsible for the recreational side of the game with youngsters but can also spot players who may have potential to make progress.

Wilson said: “As we all know, the great man (Damian D’Oliveira) who looked after the academy for the last 15 years has passed away.

“He knew the job back to front and it can’t just be a case of luck that we’ve got so many good players on the academy at the moment but also so many players in the first-team squad from the academy.

“We’ve got a large group on the academy, 14 last year, and similar numbers this year. Most academies don’t have that many so we have an abundance of riches and that can only be credit to Damian and the staff that supported him.”

Freddie Wynn, Ollie Westbury, Ben Twohig, Nick Hammond and Josh Dell were selected for the under 17s super fours regional side.

Westbury’s performances at Loughborough led to him being selected in the England Development Programme Invitational XI.

The Shrewsbury School pupil and Himley player faced England under 19s and Pakistan under 17s.

Josh Haynes was selected to captain the Bunbury Midlands side.

Leg-spinner Twohig has already appeared for the second XI and Wilson said: “He had an outstanding summer. He’s not looked out of his depth and did himself proud.”

But now comes the challenge of finding the next group of potential academy players and the signs are encouraging given the infrastructure in place.

Wilson added: “We are blessed at the moment. As well as the talents we have always produced in Worcester, the opportunity out there is in conjunction with independent schools, who support players with scholarships and have brought extra players into the talent pool.

“It has given us a wealth of riches currently from 16 to 18 years of age. My challenge is to make sure, through an improved programme from 10 to 16 and the continued support of the schools, that the next batch of players are there in 18 months to two years.

“Hopefully, that is the time for the current academy players to move into the first team and for these players currently in age-group cricket below to move into the academy programme.

“It is a real extensive programme so we can shape and have a real control of what goes on underneath us in terms of young cricketing talent.

“We have the cricket club, which is the professional side of things, and the cricket board, which is the recreational side of things, and they are two separate organisations. It is quite challenging because they have their own aspirations and plans.

“To fit those two together is always a challenge and my role jumping from one to the other has allowed us to shape what goes on beneath us to fit the needs of the county cricket club but also the needs of Worcestershire cricket on a wider scale.

“It’s about keeping guys involved in cricket. We spend a lot of time, energy and money in age-group cricket and that can’t just be in the interest of the one player who might become a professional.

“We’ve got all those kids we want to keep involved in cricket — umpires, coaches, scorers, pressmen, all sorts of roles. That is boys and the girls.”