Seven players from the Andrew White NCU Cricket Academy Squad will travel to La Manga, Spain, from Friday 15th to Monday 18th February 2019. The Academy players that are based in Northern Ireland will attend the La Manga sports complex with some of the Ireland underage players to work on fitness, fielding, and batting/bowling skills. The remainder of the Academy players will continue their development overseas before returning home prior to the start of the domestic season

Last winter the Academy toured the South African City of Cape Town where they combined competitive fixtures and a high performance camp.

The aim of the Andrew White NCU Cricket Academy has always been to provide an environment that challenges the players in different aspects of their game, whether that be technical, tactical, mental, physical or psychologically. This has been done by taking the players outside their comfort zone to challenge the routine methods.

With this in mind, the group selected for the pre-season camp will build on their winter training programme centred at the University of Ulster, at Jordanstown. It is hoped that many of those involved in the Andrew White NCU Cricket Academy will feature in the Emerging Knights squad that will play an extended programme of fixtures this summer.

Andrew White says,'whilst quite a number of the Academy group are overseas playing cricket this winter, La Manga offers a great opportunity for those who have been training indoors in Northern Ireland, to work under the tutelage of Simon Johnston and Callum Atkinson. We are indebted to the support and sponsorship of Alistair Burton at MG2, who has made the trip possible, and I know the players will benefit immensely from it'.

Coaching of this group will be led by Northern Knights Head Coach Simon Johnston, who says, 'the players have all broken into their respective club first elevens over the last couple of years and it is important that we harness the ability that they have along with their desire to improve and seek selection for the Emerging Knights this season. It will be brilliant to be able to dedicate five outdoor sessions at this stage of the year, at the wonderful facility in La Manga.'

Andrew White NCU Cricket Academy Representatives

• Jack Burton (Carrickfergus)
• Matthew Foster (CSNI)
• Matthew Humphreys (Instonians)
• Matthew McCord (Carrickfergus)
• Ben Rose (Instonians)
• Morgan Topping (CSNI)
• Harry Warke (Carrickfergus)

• Simon Johnston (Coach)
• Callum Atkinson (Coach)
• Uel Graham (Tour Manager)