Lancashire County Cricket Club is delighted to announce that its medical set-up has once again been marked as the best in English Cricket for 2009.

Each year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) carry out an Injury Prevention and Management Review (IPMR) Audit of the medical set-up at each first-class county, MCC and ECB.  This audit is a lengthy and very thorough process which covers key areas such as;

•       Personnel

•       Organisation & Review

•       Fitness & Injury Management

•       Medical

This is the third year in a row Lancashire’s set-up for the professional playing staff has topped this audit and in 2009 received a superb mark of 93.9% up from 88% the year before.

Several years ago, the then Cricket Manager and now Cricket Director Mike Watkinson revolutionised the medical set-up at the Club by appointing the former England Physio David Roberts as the Club’s medical consultant.  David Roberts, who has five clinics throughout the North West, placed Physiotherapist Sam Byrne, Strength & Conditioning Coach Alex Horn and Dr Simon Morris to work with the Lancashire playing staff on a full-time basis and its credit to the work of these three gentlemen along with David that the Club has achieved such recognition.

LCCC Cricket Director Mike Watkinson says; “Over the past decade, the landscape of domestic cricket has changed dramatically.  Cricketers are now full-time professionals where not only their skills, but their bodies are finely tuned to maximise performance throughout an extended season.  In light of these changes, injury prevention and management has become even more important and is why we decided several years ago to invest in a medical set-up that caters for the total needs of a professional cricketer.

“It’s also a huge complement for our set-up that our England stars, Fred (Flintoff) and Jimmy (Anderson), return to their home county to receive treatment.  Congratulations must go to Sam (Byrne), Alex (Horn) and Simon (Morris) for all their continued hard work and diligence in delivering a service of the highest standard and this national recognition is just rewards for their efforts.”

LCCC Head Coach Peter Moores; “This is fantastic recognition for Lancashire and acknowledges the systems the Club have established along with the hard work and expertise of Sam Byrne, Alex Horn and Dr Simon Morris under the direction of Dave Roberts.  Day in, day out Sam, Alex and Simon provide an outstanding service for all players associated with Lancashire, not just the professional squad.  They continually go the extra mile and their approach and knowledge is second to none.  We know we have set extremely high standards, but to top the ECB’s audit three years in a row is an outstanding achievement and something we are immensely proud of.”