GLOUCESTERSHIRE wicketkeeper Cameron Herring is among 11 professional cricketers selected as the first intake for the new Tom Maynard Academy.

Herring will spend ten days with the group from February 13-22 at Desert Springs in Spain, working on a carefully planned programme covering technical skills, strength and conditioning.

The programme finishes with a special one-day match between the Tom Maynard Academy XI and the Spanish national side.

Tom’s father Matthew Maynard, the former Glamorgan and England batsman, will head the delivery of the programme.

For the 2014 intake, ex-Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Australia all-rounder Ian Harvey and head of elite coach development at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Gordon Lord, will be among those delivering specialist sessions to the players, while former England head physiotherapist, Dean Conway, will oversee the fitness and physical work while the group is in Spain.

The 2014 programme is being funded in its entirety by the Trust.

In future years it is hoped the programme might form part of the ECB’s player pathway, designed to work with young and emerging county cricketers at the start of their careers as part of a programme helping them prepare for the UK county season.

Matthew Maynard said: “We are delighted to have had such fantastic support from the counties and I’m really looking forward to working with the players and establishing the Tom Maynard Academy as an integral part of the ECB’s and the counties’ player development pathways.

“Desert Springs has excellent facilities for the players to work on their games and on their fitness and we’re pleased to be partnering with them. We have some very knowledgeable people involved in delivering the programme and I have no doubt it will be of real benefit to the lads involved as they approach pre-season.”

Herring is looking forward to mixing with ten other up and coming young county players as he looks to further his Gloucestershire career.

The talented 19-year-old is a product of Tredegar Comprehensive School and joined the county’s Academy after attracting attention playing club cricket in Wales.

He was awarded a one-year scholarship followed by a two-year contract by Gloucestershire in the autumn of 2012 after impressing in the second team.

At the start of the last season he earned selection as wicketkeeper for the opening Championship game against Essex at Chelmsford and went on to make five more first class appearances.