NEW Old Southendian & Southchurch Cricket Club head coach Andrew McGarry says huge strides have been made since his return to the club.

Former Essex seamer McGarry linked up with the Old Boys at the start of the season, following a stint in the Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League.

And he is already making an impact on and off the pitch.

The 35-year-old player/coach has taken 12 wickets in the first two matches of the Shepherd Neame Essex League Division Two season, and has also helped double the number of youth team players.

And he said there is potential for the club, based at Garon Park, to keep on growing.

“I was working with the club’s academy a few years ago but that stopped when I moved to play cricket elsewhere,” he said. “I was playing for Hertfordshire, got relegated and that meant the travel commitments intensified.

“Southendian chairman Chris Bunce called me and that was how it came about. I knew the guys and there were a few offers on the table but this move made the most sense to me.

“We are looking at the bottom end and restructuring the youth section. It has shrunk in size and we are trying to get the numbers up as well as improving the standard of coaching.

“We have started well. In four weeks we have gone from 25 to 50 in the youth sections (under-11s, 13s and 15s). We are making the most of what we have.”

Basildon-born McGarry has excelled in the first two matches of the new campaign.

His opening weekend haul of 5-33 was followed up with 7-36 against Fives & Heronians.

But he says no-one is getting ahead of themselves, despite recording back-to-back wins.

“Things have gone well so far,” he said. “We were really strong in the first game and bowling a team out for 90 is quite an achievement.

“The conditions were favourable to bowling on Saturday and Rob Johnstone’s 70 was the match-winning innings for us.

“Things will get harder but it’s a positive start. We want to compete. I am not one for setting huge goals but we need to be focused on what we can do to win each week. If we do that we will be all right.”