England coach Ashley Giles helps out at Herefordshire girls cricket coaching session (From Hereford Times)

England coach Ashley Giles, the former Ashes spin-king, helps out at Herefordshire girls cricket coaching session

10:00am Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By Ian Morgan

ENGLAND coach Ashley Giles visited his sister last week - and helped train a group of young cricketers in Hereford.

The former Ashes spin-king was at Whitecross School with sister Tracy Hodgson and the Herefordshire Under-11 girls’ cricket squad last Friday.

“It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm that the girls and coaches had for cricket when I visited Hereford,” said Giles, England’s limited overs head coach. “Women’s cricket has had great success over the last 10 years and is incredibly professional. “If what is happening in Hereford is being replicated all over the country, it can only help in achieving years of future success in the women’s game.”

Giles sister, Tracy Hodgson, is coaching the under-11 Herefordshire girls’ age-group with cricket development officer Anna Robertson.

“Ash was a great inspiration,” said Tracy. “He did some one-to-one coaching and answered some good questions from the girls.”

Giles played 54 Tests and 62 one-day internationals for England and coached Warwickshire to the Division One County Championship last September. England women’s international Danni Hazell, from Durham, was in Herefordshire for three days last week and coached at schools and colleges in the county.

Herefordshire Cricket’s player development manager, Glyn Harrhy, said the 24-year-old’s visit, on behalf of the Lady Taverners, had also been a huge success.

England opening bowler James Anderson will be in Leominster on April 12 to raise money for Herefordshire CCC’s new second team and the Injured Soldiers Fund.

Harrhy joked: “Herefordshire is swamped with England players and coaches at the moment.”