Ross has featured in the first team on a regular basis this season and the promise he has shown has now been rewarded. The Leeds Met graduate had previously only been on a summer contract.

Click below to see the full story from the BBC website.

Ross Whiteley Contract

Having set Northants 416 to win, the home team dismissed the LV= County Championship Division 2 pacesetters for 244, with Craddock bowling a marathon spell of 30 overs, taking 4 for 70     with 8 maidens. His first scalp in first class cricket was that of former South African Test all-rounder Andrew Hall, the current Northants skipper, who was clean bowled by the 21-year-old leg       spinner. Craddock was well supported by another current MCCU player, Durham’s Tom Westley, who took 2 for 45 from 21 overs.

Essex First Team Coach Paul Grayson said ‘There were a number of pleasing individual performances from our younger players and on the final day I thought Tom Westley and Tom Craddock       bowled really well.”

This followed an amazing Second XI debut for Craddock against Sussex a few days earlier when he picked up 7 for 61 – the second best-ever figures for Essex by a second team debutant. Tom’s       two month trial with the county couldn’t really have started any better and if he maintains these performances a full-time contract should just be around the corner.

The pictures of Tom in action for Essex were taken by Nick Wood of Unshaken Photography, who run various courses in all forms of photography. See more about Nick & Unshaken at www.unshaken-photography.co.uk.

Note that the umpire on this picture is another former Leeds Bradford player – Ismail Dawood!

Craddock, 21, has had an impressive season so far which included a five-wicket haul for Leeds/Bradford MCCU against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.     

The Huddersfield youngster will have his opportunity to impress the Essex coaching staff over in all formats of the game during his spell with the club.

Essex moved to sign the youngster who has also had trials this summer with Kent and Worcestershire.

Good opportunity

Essex Head Coach Paul Grayson was impressed by his new recruit.

“We’ve been looking at him for a while, we do need another spinner. I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen of him.” He said.

“I’ve watched him in a couple of MCC Universities games and Unicorns matches and the feedback from the lads who played against him was favourable, they were all very impressed with him.

“We’ll be able to have a closer look at him and see how he gets on in the professional set-up.

“We will be giving him a couple of months’ trial and as far as we are concerned, it’s nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“It’s a good opportunity for him. We are looking forward to him joining us.”

Former Leeds Bradford skipper Richard Browning is Vice-Chairman of the LCA and, along with ex-Northants, Hampshire and Surrey player Richard Logan has created the League Cricketers’ Association to give club cricketers and people involved in the game a chance to interact with each other, receive benefits, save money and bring the cricketing community together. Having benefitted from the great work the PCA have done over the years, the duo thought it was time the people who sacrifice so much time to play league cricket should have something in place to bring them all together and benefit them socially and financially.

With a member base that is constantly growing, the LCA aim to save its members hundreds of pounds over the period of a year, by building relationships with businesses locally and nationwide.

Browning commented, ‘Having been involved with the MCCU scheme during my 3 years at university I recognise the value of the scheme and the work that it is doing in helping produce first-class cricketers. However, we recognise that not all graduates go on to forge careers in the game and that many act as loyal servants to league cricket for many years. As a former skipper of Leeds Bradford, the centre is very close to my heart and the LCA is delighted to be able to give something back to the scheme. Leeds Bradford has enjoyed significant success and progress over the last few years, helping produce players such as William Porterfield, Toby Roland-Jones and Alex Blake, amongst others, who are now making a major impact in the first class game, but equally a large number of former players are now heavily involved in developing league cricket at a variety of levels. We look forward to a long and healthy partnership with Andrew Lawson’s squad.’

Leeds Bradford’s squad manager Nick Davis said, ‘Although each of the six MCCU centres receive tremendous funding from the MCC, we are always on the look-out for extra monies to help with the running of our scheme. We are thrilled to be in partnership with the LCA, particularly as it involves us once again with Richard Browning, who was a superb servant to the centre as player and captain. All our squad members will be encouraged to act as LCA representatives for their home-town clubs, promoting the significant benefits the organistaion has to offer to league players across the country.’

In addition, the LCA will be sending a ‘League Legends XI’ to face Leeds Bradford at their Weetwood base on May 23rd. The LCA team will be an invitational XI and will include last years’ LCA Player of the Year, Dan Woods – himself a former Leeds Bradford player.

Davis added, ‘These are exciting times for both Leeds Bradford and the LCA. With the new season almost upon us we are looking forward to a successful campaign and hope to be displaying the LCA logo on our sweaters in the MCCU final at Lord’s at the end of June.’

The first fixture, a Twenty 20 game against the MCC  Young Cricketers, resulted in a 22 run victory. Batting first, the students totalled 195 for 2 from their 20 overs with Craig Park (Cambridge) smashing 97 off 67 balls and Durham’s Luke Durandt finishing undefeated on 70 from 55 balls. The YCs made a spirited reply but three wickets from Luis Reece (3-40 off 4) and a wicket for Tom Craddock helped restrict them to 173 for 7.

The second game against an Emirates Cricket Board XI was a 50-over affair and resulted in a 66 run victory. The combined team, captained by Rick Moore, were at one point struggling on 104 for 6 but a seventh wicket stand of 86 between Luke Durandt (96) and Leeds Bradford’s Luis Reece (46) helped the students to a total of 223 all out. In reply the Emirates XI were dismissed for 157, Tom Craddock picking up two wickets and Luis Reece  bagging another, tro cap a fine all-round performance.

The third game saw another victory over the YCs, this time in the experimental 5ives format.

As Fred Flinstone would say, so far the boys in Abu Dhabi Do Well. (Sorry!)

The players will be coached by current MCC Head Coach Mark Alleyne and his predecessor Clive Radley, who now runs the MCCU side that plays in the Second XI Championship.

It is hoped that the tour will provide valuable experience of cricketing conditions overseas, and will also present an important pre-season practice opportunity for the players. The MCCU players in particular will enjoy the time in the middle, as many of them will be in action against first class counties in early April.

MCC’s Head of Cricket John Stephenson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our young players. All the cricketers on this tour are non-contracted and will be looking at it as the perfect springboard into the 2011 season. Hopefully the players will subsequently perform during the season and get noticed by the counties.

The Club invests over a million pounds annually into youth cricket and this type of tour is indicative of MCC’s desire to assist young cricketers improve their game and push into the professional ranks.”

Chasing the Netherlands total of 189, India’s legendary opening pair of Tendulkar and Sehwag set off like a train before Sehwag became Seelaar’s first victim. Tendulkar followed shortly after thanks to BK’s stunning effort. Despite reducing India to 99 for 4 at one point, the Dutch were always struggling and when Kruger came on to bowl in the 31st over the game was all but over. However, his first two overs at the often destructive pair of Yuvraj Singh and Mohendra Singh Dohni conceded only 5 runs, before the batsmen decided that the time had come to wrap things up.

Certainly a day to remember for Brad and all of us at Leeds Bradford MCCU are extremely proud of him. Next up for the Dutch will be Bangladesh in Chittagong on Mon 14 March before their final group match Ireland on Friday 18th when, if selected, Brad will come up against Leeds Bradford old-boy William Porterfield.

The 22-year-old made an unbeaten 105 against Yorkshire at Headingley in the last LV County Championship fixture of 2010. It capped an excellent second half of the season for the left-hander, who finished the year with six successive first-class appearances.

Blake made his Kent debut back in 2007 and has benefited from a positive policy towards young players as he looks to establish himself as a regular.

He said: “Kent are putting a lot of faith in youth and are going to give young players a go. I’m obviously delighted to sign the deal and I’m looking forward to getting into pre-season and seeing where things go. I’m looking to establish myself in the one day team and then push on for a place in the first-class side but we have a strong middle-order at Kent so it will be tough. I had a run towards the end of last year – privileged to play county cricket for Kent. The century against Yorkshire was great because it proved to other people and also to myself that I could cut it at that level.”

Lords.org identified Blake as an MCCU ‘one to watch,’ during his first year of studying back in 2009. He is now close to completing his degree and was enthusiastic about the opportunity the MCCU scheme had allowed him.

“It’s been a good scheme here at Leeds.” Blake added. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here both on and away from the cricket field. It’s nice to know that I will have a degree to fall back on if things don’t go to plan.”

Andrew Lawson, Blake’s coach at Leeds/Bradford, described the youngster as the benchmark for the rest of his squad.

Lawson said: “We’re really pleased for him. He’s worked hard over the last year and I know they think a lot of him at Kent because he’s been given a three year deal. We’ve been part of his journey and being part of things at Leeds/Bradford has helped him move on to a higher level. I think the century he got against Yorkshire showed the potential he has at the top level and I’m confident he will be in the side from the start of next season. He’s a talent and I hope that this is the start of a long career, not just three years for Alex.

“Our goal is to get players into the county set-up – that’s the idea. I’m confident that one or two will follow on in his footsteps. He’s the benchmark for the entire squad.”

(Article reproduced by kind permission from MCC)

Cross began a Psychology degree at Leeds University last September and has been working with Andrew Lawson and the Leeds Bradford squad through the winter. She spoke to us from the airport before boarding her plane. “I’m absolutely delighted to be called up to join the England team. I’ve been working extremely hard over the last 18 months to break into the full squad and am just looking forward to gaining experience from touring Australia. If I get the opportunity to play I’ll certainly make the most of it!”

Kate will be arriving in Australia in time for the Twenty 20 series (5 matches) as well as the one-off Ashes Test beginning in Sydney on 21 January. Her selection means she is the second Leeds Bradford player to be representing her country this winter, following in the footsteps of Bradley Kruger who is in the Netherlands World Cup squad – a great achievement for the centre and the MCC Universities scheme.