FORMER Essex player Chris Gladwin freely admits he hates playing cricket now – but is loving life at Westcliff on Sea Cricket Club.

Gladwin was brought in this year in a bid to transform the club’s fortunes following the first XI’s relegation to the Shepherd Neame Essex League basement division last summer.

And the 53-year-old former opening batsman has overseen a transformation that has seen Westcliff climb to third in Division Three – even though he would prefer to be off the field.

“I was retired from cricket and enjoying life playing lots of golf when Jeremy Lockhart got hold of me,” said Gladwin, who lives in Benfleet.

“He said the club was in an awful state and needed a professional on board to give the players direction.

“For someone who wanted to finish and not play ever again, I have really enjoyed it.

“Don’t get me wrong, I hate playing cricket now because the standing around for 50 overs kills me knowing I might have to go and bat.

“And the risk of failing against someone is horrible but the boys have been really good with me and they have made me feel young.”

As well as captaining the first XI, Gladwin and his coaches set up a training regime that would give the Chalkwell Park club’s players focus.

Net practice has been structured to make it more realistic with batsman facing opening bowlers and then seamers, but if they are out twice it is the end of their net.

Gladwin said it places more emphasis on the bowlers to get the batters out so they get a chance to bat.

“The proof is in the pudding; the first team are in third place and are winning games, we have a lot of youngsters playing and it is has created a great atmosphere,” added Gladwin.

“The nicest thing about it is when we are playing at home the old members are coming back to watch. They can see the improvements.

“It’s not all about winning the league, it’s about moving forward. This year is all about learning; it’s a learning curve for them and we’re moving forward.”

Gladwin, who is now a full-time cricket coach, sees it as a four-year project where he will skipper the firsts for two years and groom a player into the captain’s role in the third year.

The fourth year he plans to manage things from off the pitch knowing his players will be confident in their abilities and there will be other young players pushing for a place.

He admitted starting from scratch with no baggage from the previous years had made life easier and was pleased with the way the players had responded.

Gladwin, who played first XI cricket for Essex and Derbyshire plus minor counties with Suffolk in the 1980s, said the youngsters at the club saw the opportunity to move up to the first XI and were going for it.

“The best comment I’ve had was on Facebook which said ‘It’s great what you’re doing Gladders. It’s the only way forward with the youth because, believe me, in four years you will be Premier and winning everything,” added Gladwin.

Time will tell whether that will be the case, but in the meantime Westcliff are definitely a different proposition from the first XI who were relegated without winning a league match in 2014.