James Cutt

By Scott Preston of the Oamaru Mail
James Cutt would have liked a career as a professional cricketer, but saw his future on the other side of the boundary rope.

"I kinda realised the coaching and development side was going to give me a career, rather than the playing side," said Cutt, the 24-year-old Englishman who started this month in his role as North Otago senior team and development coach.

Cutt has gone from getting under-privileged children in Preston involved in sport while with Sport England, to developing and improving the next generation of cricketers in North Otago.

The Lancashire native will work with North Otago's development officer Derek Walker in the schools and clubs, and with the province's representative teams, including the senior Hawke Cup squad.

Cutt admitted knowing little about Oamaru and North Otago, or how cricket fitted into the region's sporting scene, before arriving on October 1. He was pressed into immediate action, having already coached sessions with the under-17 reps and players involved with the North Otago team in the Otago District Series.

"I'm quite keen to get involved with the club sides and see what they've got going with their juniors...I have been given a little bit of freedom to sort of develop a few things around the region. "I'm looking forward to that. It should be a bit of a challenge," said Cutt, who attended Loughborough University in the East Midlands and has coaching qualifications in cricket and football.

"I just want to build on anything that's existing. There's been good things set up over the last few years. "Just to increase the participation and acknowledgement of cricket in the area. Just to continue the good work that's been done and if I can continue that and grow that, that'll be great." The right-hand opening batsman and part-time right-arm off-spinner will play his senior cricket for the Union club, who he helped to a win in the opening weekend with an unbeaten 69 on Saturday, and hoped to play a part in North Otago's Hawke Cup campaign. "Yeah, no pressure. I better score some runs," Cutt joked.

Cutt, a life-long Bolton Wanderers football fan, grew up in Bolton and played for the Astley and Tyldesley Cricket Club, being selected in county age-group rep sides before moving onto university. He has a fixed six-month contract and was unsure what would happen at the end of summer. "I guess we'll see what happens then. It would be good to be part of something in the future."

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