Latest / The PCR Sports Show / The PCR Sports Show - Friday 27th February 2026 - with Alex Green, U19 England International Cricketer

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The PCR Sports Show - Friday 27th February 2026 - with Alex Green, U19 England International Cricketer · The PCR Sports Show

0:16
Welcome to PCR Sports. Good evening and welcome to this
0:20
evening's PCR Sports Show. Thank you for joining us once
0:23
again. We're here every Friday between
0:25
6:00 and 7:00, aiming to shine a light on the club's athletes and
0:30
volunteers who keep our local sporting community thriving.
0:34
So if you're involved involved in local sport, this is your
0:37
hour. Tonight.
0:38
I'm delighted to say that we're joined by Alex Green, England
0:43
under 19 cricketer and World Cup runner up.
0:47
He returned literally less than three weeks ago from Namibia and
0:52
Zimbabwe having played for England in the Under 19 World
0:56
Cup. And we'll be chatting to him
0:57
very shortly about his development in the game.
1:01
Started playing when he at the age of 10 and is now playing for
1:05
England under nineteens. But we'll be talking about
1:07
everything between when he started all the way to where he
1:11
is in the current day. But as always, we've got your
1:15
local headlines this evening brought to you by Dipam.
1:18
Thank you. Good evening Peterborough and
1:20
here are your local sporting headlines this evening on PCR
1:23
Sports. Starting with football.
1:25
Peter United played out a thrilling 3 three draw with
1:27
Exeter City at the Western Home Stadium last Saturday.
1:30
Patrick Sicot gave Posh A1 nil half time lead but a quick fire
1:34
hat trick from Jaden Wareham early in the second-half swung
1:37
the game in Exeter's favour. However, brace from Harry
1:40
Leonard on 60 and 79 minutes earned Posh a share of the
1:43
spoils. Next up is the Neen Derby away
1:45
at Northampton Town tomorrow at lunchtime, which kicks off at
1:48
12:30 PM. Peter United Women were held to
1:51
a nil, nil draw away at Lee Field Athletic in the National
1:54
League Midlands Division One. The stalemate saw Posh Women
1:57
slip to 2nd place in the table, though they have two games in
2:00
hand and a superior goal difference over leaders
2:02
Boldamore Boldamere St. Michaels.
2:04
They returned to league action this Sunday with a trip to
2:06
Sheffield FC. Peter of Sports suffered a
2:10
back-to-back defeat this week, going down to one at Radcliffe
2:13
FC on Saturday before a four one loss at Bedford Town on Tuesday
2:16
evening. Luca Miller and Max Booth were
2:19
on target across the 2 fixtures. The Turbines are back at Pimas
2:22
Park tomorrow when 2nd place South Shields visit with Sports
2:25
currently hovering just above relegation zone in 20th place.
2:29
In ice hockey, Peterborough Phantoms booked their place in
2:31
this season playoffs with two high scoring wins over Bristol
2:34
Pit Bulls. Last weekend The Phantoms edged
2:37
a thrilling 76V in in Bristol before completing the job with a
2:40
nymphatic 8 three home win at Planet Ice on Sunday.
2:44
This weekend they travelled to face regional rivals Milton
2:46
Keynes Lightnings on Saturday before welcoming Telford Tigers
2:50
on Sunday with a face off at 5:30 PM in field hockey.
2:54
It was a strong weekend for the City Hockey Club according to
2:57
City of Peter Hockey Club. Should I say?
2:59
According to Dave Simpson of the City of the City of Peter Hockey
3:02
Club, beg your pardon? With seven wins, 3 draws and
3:06
three losses across the board, the stand out result came on
3:09
Saturday night as the men's first beat Nottingham Uni
3:11
seconds in three one at Bretton Gate.
3:14
Gareth Andrew opened scoring early on before Matt Goodley
3:17
restored the lead in the second-half with a superb solo
3:20
effort. Joe Finke sealed the victory
3:22
from the penalty spot. The result left City up to 4th
3:25
in the table and they host League Leaders League on Sunday
3:27
at 2:00 PM. The women's first impressed with
3:31
securing A3 no win over Spalding.
3:33
Goals from Hope Elkins, Lily Craven and Leah Goddard keep
3:37
City 7 points clear at the top of the table.
3:39
They travelled to St. Neots next weekend.
3:41
There are big wins elsewhere too with including an 11 nil victory
3:45
for the men's 6 and A5 nil success for the women's seconds.
3:48
The club also hosted a successful junior tournament in
3:51
the sunshine on Sunday, welcoming Pelicans Spalding and
3:55
Wisbech for the under Eights, Under 10's and under 12's round
3:57
Robin matches. Looking ahead to this weekend,
4:00
the home fixtures start at 10:00 AM with the women's seconds,
4:03
with matches running through the afternoon and into early evening
4:06
at Breton Gate. In roller hockey, an update from
4:10
the club in the Premier League. Roller Hockey Peterborough
4:12
secured a hard fought 65 win away in Middlesbrough on Sunday.
4:16
Travelling with just five outfield players and a
4:19
goalkeeper due to injuries and work commitments, Peter were
4:22
tested from the start. Kai Swabe open the scoring
4:25
inside 4 minutes with a superb solo effort, his first Premier
4:29
League goal for the club. Middlesbrough quickly responded
4:31
and despite not producing their usual fast-paced style, Peter
4:34
had managed to hold out and win the game 65.
4:38
Peter were reduced to three players following a blue card
4:41
and Middlesbrough plied on hard on the pressure during the power
4:44
play but could not breakthrough. Harry Hilliam produced a crucial
4:47
moment, running down the clock deep in opposition half and even
4:51
drawing a blue card to really reveal the relieve the pressure.
4:54
Peterborough held firm in the closing seconds to seal the
4:56
victory and claim 3 valuable league points.
4:59
Man of the match went to Kai Swabe for a tireless performance
5:03
at both ends of the rink. In cricket, England have made an
5:06
impressive start into the Over 70s World Cup in New Zealand,
5:09
with local off spinner Nick Andrews playing his part in a
5:12
string of strong performances. England opened opened with
5:15
victories over India and Canada before falling to a full victory
5:19
defeat against Australia in a high scoring clash in
5:22
Wellington. They've since bounced back with
5:24
six wicket win over Sri Lanka and a commanding 100 and 1212
5:28
run victory against the United States.
5:31
Further fixtures against New Zealand and the rest rest of the
5:34
world to the follow with England targeting a place in the final
5:37
on March the 5th. And keep an eye out for an
5:40
exclusive video interview with Nick Andrews from our from the
5:42
other side of the world coming soon to the PCR Sports YouTube
5:45
channel. Athletics Panvac.
5:49
Padvac. Get my words out and start
5:50
again. Panvac Athletes enjoyed a strong
5:53
showing at the British Masters Indoor Championships at Lee
5:56
Valley Center over the last weekend.
5:58
Simon A Church claimed silver in the over 50s Shop put with a
6:02
throw of 12 meters and 59 centimeters, while Kevin Bates
6:06
took silver in the over 70s cattery, throwing 10.08 meters.
6:10
It was gold for John Spriggs in the over 70s triple jump with a
6:13
leap of 7.52 meters and Kelly Sutton secured of silver in the
6:17
over 50s women's 200 meters, clocking 28.84 seconds.
6:23
Jim Gillespie placed fifth in the over 60s shopper and Julian
6:26
Smith narrowly missed out on bronze in the over 55200 meters,
6:31
finishing just 100th of a second outside the middles in boxing.
6:35
The Peacock Plug pub on London Road will host Back to the Manor
6:39
boxing promotion at the Vines Event Centre on Saturday, March
6:42
the 14th. The event will take place inside
6:45
a brand new custom built marquee and promises a packed bill of 15
6:48
professional belts alongside an undercard showcasing rising
6:52
local talent. Amongst those scheduled to
6:54
appear is former National schoolboy champion Michael
6:57
McGuire from Peterborough and the event is staged in
7:00
partnership with TFM Boxing Promotions and forms part of a
7:03
wider investment into about sports and live entertainment at
7:06
the venue. And finally in Bare Knuckle
7:08
Boxing City fighter Martin Rafael suffered A narrow points
7:13
defeat in his big Bare Knuckle Boxing rematch of the O2 Arena.
7:16
Rafael, 39, appeared to take control of the opening 3 rounds
7:20
in his London showdown with Scott McHugh. 1 judge scored the
7:23
contest 4847 in Rafael's favour, however that was overturned by
7:27
the remaining judges who awarded the fight to the Leeds based
7:32
boxer. The bout took place on a card
7:34
associated with the former 2 weight world champion Pauli
7:39
Pauli Magdalene Nagi Magdalene Nagi now competing in a bare
7:42
knuckle boxing. The frustrating night for
7:44
Rafael, who pushed his opponent all the way but fell short on
7:47
the scorecards. And those are your headlines.
7:50
Back to the Nash. Cheers dipam.
7:51
Thank you very much. Lots going on once again as seen
7:54
in the headlines there. Right, we've got Alex Green with
7:58
us tonight. He is England under 19 World Cup
8:01
runner up. We'll be chatting to him very
8:04
shortly after these messages. You're listening to PCR sports.
8:19
Good evening. Welcome back to the PCR Sports
8:22
Show here on PCR FM for the start of your sporting weekend.
8:26
Thank you for joining us once again.
8:28
We're here every Friday between 6:00 and 7:00, focusing on our
8:33
local clubs, athletes and volunteers who really do keep
8:37
our sporting community thriving. So this is your hour and tonight
8:41
is no different. Once again we're speaking to
8:43
Alex Green, local cricketer, but he's a little bit more than that
8:47
on that now. He's an England Under Nineteens
8:51
cricketer who's played at Market Deep in Peter Town on the books
8:55
with Leicestershire Young Lions and we'll be chatting to him
8:59
now. Alex, welcome to the studio.
9:01
Thank you very much for having me.
9:02
Good to have you with us and you've celebrated your birthday
9:06
this week. Yes, on Tuesday.
9:08
Yeah. Thank you very much.
9:09
Happy birthday. Thank you, 19.
9:12
Yeah, it was. It was nice to have.
9:14
It felt, felt like I was waiting for it for a long time.
9:19
Yeah, but no. Thank you very much.
9:20
Did you, can you let your hair down?
9:23
I know you've just come back off the World Cup and we'll talk
9:25
about that very shortly, but you're in pre season training
9:27
with Leicestershire. How much can you let yourself
9:30
go, shall we say? Yeah, not not much really.
9:32
It's difficult having your birthday in the middle of a hard
9:35
training week, especially we had Monday, Tuesday, had to be in on
9:39
Wednesday for a little kind of squad meeting and then Thursday
9:43
and training today. Wow, a full on week then.
9:46
Effectively, yeah. Bit chocolate, bit of cake A.
9:48
Little a little bit of chocolate cake on Tuesday night.
9:51
But we can't. We can't let it slip, too.
9:53
Much I'm sure the coaches had realized straight away.
9:56
I guess the strength and condition coaches and generally.
9:59
When they when they realized while the nutritionist was in on
10:02
Tuesday, Right said. Just make sure make sure it's
10:05
not too much. Right.
10:06
OK, so you're allowed to indulge a little bit.
10:07
Oh yeah, just a little bit on the birthday, so.
10:09
Brilliant stuff, but welcome to the show, great to have you with
10:14
us and yeah, how you feeling on the back of a a World Cup?
10:20
Tired one way to say it. Yeah, no, but it was it was
10:23
brilliant to get the opportunity to play first of all, which is
10:28
like, who wouldn't want to play in a World Cup?
10:31
But yeah, it was unfortunate to lose in the final.
10:33
But I think overall performance in the in the competition, we
10:39
were happy with how it went, yeah.
10:42
Right, OK, so that's here and now, World Cup runner up playing
10:47
for England. But let's go back to where it
10:50
all started. When did you start playing
10:52
cricket? What motivated you?
10:55
You know, where did it all begin for you?
10:56
Yeah, so, so I first started playing cricket.
10:59
I was market deep in Cricket Club, so fairly local when I was
11:03
about, I must have been 9 or 10 and it kind of kind of really
11:09
took off from there. I think what kind of got me into
11:12
cricket. Obviously my dad and my brother,
11:14
both brothers play there, as well as my granddad of loving
11:18
cricket, I think. So real cricketing family.
11:21
Yeah, cricketing family, like sport was, is big in our house,
11:24
but cricket was where it's always been so.
11:29
Yeah, and your dad played as well.
11:30
Yes, yeah, he played as well. Yeah.
11:33
So obviously going down, going down as a young kid, watching
11:36
him play, I've been fortunate enough to play with him quite a
11:40
few times actually. So yeah, it's it's nice watch.
11:43
It was nice going to watch with him.
11:44
Yeah. And then getting, getting,
11:46
getting a chance to play with your dad.
11:48
Not many people can say it. So yeah.
11:51
Did you? Obviously, you said your brother
11:52
played as well. Nick, Nick Green.
11:55
Did all three of you play in the same team?
11:57
Have you had, did you ever have that opportunity growing up?
12:01
I'm testing you there. Fortunately, I don't think we've
12:03
all played together. I know I've played.
12:07
I've played with Nick, yeah, separately, while I've played
12:11
with Dad. Unfortunately, I don't think
12:13
I've all. Three of you, so still still
12:16
time. There might be a chance.
12:17
Yeah, you just never know, dear. Yeah.
12:19
You never know. Indeed.
12:20
Can you remember when you first picked up a A ball, a bat, You
12:23
know, was it something your dad sort of thrusted on you or did
12:27
you do it as part of Yeah, actually want to do this and
12:29
enjoy it? I think it was.
12:32
It kind of just came naturally. I think having a cricketing
12:36
family, it always does come slightly naturally.
12:39
We must remember being really, really young market deep in.
12:45
There's a picture somewhere in our House of me, me trying to
12:48
bat, showing off my well, I say great batting skill, but it's
12:54
probably the same we'll. Come on to that during the show.
12:57
No, but yeah, that's probably what the first kind of time I
12:59
really started to get into cricket, Yeah, when I was a was
13:04
probably about 3 or 4. Yeah, picking that bat and ball
13:07
up in the back garden, perhaps. Yeah, yeah, it was nice getting
13:12
your older brother to bowl balls at you because he he wants to
13:14
try and get you out all the time.
13:15
So can you remember? So you started off at market
13:18
Deeping. Can you remember or recall, you
13:21
know, going down there when you're what, 10-11 years of age
13:25
playing junior cricket? How did that all feel to you at
13:28
that point? It it.
13:31
It was, it was completely different to obviously how it is
13:34
now because you just go there. You love playing cricket, you
13:37
just want to get outside, you love playing.
13:40
You never really, I couldn't have expected to be where I am
13:44
now and I've like 9-8 or nine years further down the line.
13:49
But yeah, it was, it's good fun every time going down the Nets.
13:53
You know, Dad's not playing, Nick's playing.
13:56
We'll go, we'll go have a bat, we'll go have a ball.
13:59
But it was it was just a nice environment to be around and
14:03
there's loads of families down there when I was young.
14:05
So like other people having kids, it was good to kind of
14:09
play cricket with them as well on the net so.
14:11
Yeah. Can you remember any of your
14:13
coaches or any of the early, early players that he played
14:16
with? Well, early, early players,
14:20
especially at Market deep. And there's two for like David
14:23
Gillett, Yeah, John McDougal as well.
14:25
Those are two kind of big ones. I remember when I was a kid.
14:29
Offered you some great advice. Yeah, definitely.
14:31
I managed to play quite a lot with Dave Gillett when I was
14:35
young so and obviously if you look at his stats really he's
14:40
got a lot of runs so and he knows a lot about cricket so
14:43
it's good to kind of play with them as well.
14:44
Yeah, indeed. Did you always want to be a
14:47
bowler, you know, at that young age or was it just about
14:51
enjoying it at that point? I.
14:52
Mean as a bit as being quite a tall child, I was kind of kind
14:57
of. How tall are you now?
14:59
Well, six or seven now, so yeah. So as a quite a tall child, I
15:03
was kind of pushed into being a bowler straight away.
15:05
I mean, I did love batting, tried to bat as much as possible
15:10
when I was younger, but now bowling's kind of taken a little
15:14
bit more of priority. I don't.
15:15
I get a little bit of a chance to bat sometimes, but we'll take
15:18
what we I'll take what I can get.
15:20
It's certainly from a batting perspective, yeah, you, let's
15:23
just say you're a tail ender in the batting side at the moment.
15:27
Yeah, at the moment, yeah, hopefully it will hopefully give
15:29
it a couple years. Hopefully I can start pushing up
15:31
the order. Yeah, well, we'll just keep
15:34
making sure the bowling's ticking over and yeah, that
15:37
would be good. Yeah, so 6 foot 6 that you are
15:41
now. But when you were coming through
15:43
and bowling in your early days, were you a pace bowler or did
15:47
you just, you know, did you want to bowl off spin?
15:50
Did you always, you know, having visions of being, you know, a
15:53
quick bowler effectively? Definitely, yeah.
15:55
I think fast bowling was always kind of my thing, especially
15:59
watching young, like when I was younger, watching bowlers on the
16:02
TV, people like, say Dale Steyn, like Mitchell Johnson, people
16:07
like that who you just look, look at them and you're bowling
16:09
90 mile an hour. That that was always my thing.
16:12
I mean, I try and bowl off spinning the net sometimes, but
16:14
usually I get told to told to stop.
16:16
So yeah, fast bowling's always been my thing.
16:19
Do you measure how fast you can bowl?
16:20
You know, like in tennis they can measure the speed of a serve
16:23
can, in cricket can you measure the speed of your bowl?
16:25
Yes, yeah, they have speed guns sometimes at games, sometimes
16:29
you use them in trainings. So it's nice sometimes to get a
16:33
grasp of how fast you do actually bowl.
16:35
And what's your numbers? Yeah, so for me, come on to what
16:38
you're bowling now, but when you were growing up and that speed,
16:42
were you effectively a lot quicker than children, you know,
16:47
players of a similar age? I think when I was about 12 or
16:52
13, I see I've been quite tall, developed quite early as a like
16:59
a fast bowler getting my height. So I think I was a little bit, I
17:02
was a little bit quicker than quite a lot of people at that
17:05
age. But obviously now you're getting
17:09
older, other people start to catch up.
17:11
Yeah. So I still feel like I'm faster
17:16
than a decent amount of bowlers. But I should think you are
17:19
playing playing for Leicestershire and county
17:21
cricket in England. Yeah, but no, I'm.
17:24
Yeah, I like bowling fast. OK, Yeah, it's my favorite thing
17:27
to do. When you say fast, what are you
17:30
bowling at the moment? Then we're not necessarily, you
17:33
know, your top speed every week because obviously from a fitness
17:35
perspective and the pitchers deem, you know, to adjust your,
17:38
your bowling style. But where?
17:40
Where do you see yourself at the moment?
17:41
I think most recently when I was playing the World Cup, I think
17:48
in the finals, some of my speeds are about 8485 mile an hour.
17:53
So obviously we aim, we aim to keep going onwards and upwards.
17:57
But yeah, I'm quite happy with that at the moment.
18:00
And I suppose it's having that control as well though, isn't
18:01
it? You know you can bowl as you
18:03
know, low 90s potentially, but if you haven't got the control
18:06
then batsmen at that level are going to put you away.
18:09
Yeah, absolutely. Like control is the big thing,
18:12
which is what I've been working a lot with coaches on recently
18:15
to make sure like more accurate because it gives gives us a
18:19
better chance of taking wickets. Yeah, indeed.
18:21
Going back, you said 1213, you know, bowling, good speed and
18:26
developing for your age in terms of your stature.
18:29
Can you remember your first sort of senior game and what you
18:34
might have done in it? Or your first season perhaps?
18:36
I can vaguely remember my first like adult game.
18:41
I can't. It escapes me where it was OK.
18:43
I know I was playing with my dad because I think one player went
18:48
down the night before, right? So my dad kind of dragged me
18:51
into playing. I did get a wicket on my second
18:56
ball. Wonderful stuff.
18:57
So kind of went up from there, really.
19:00
But no, that's my first kind of full season.
19:03
I remember playing for Market Deeping, getting a chance to
19:06
play in the Lincolnshire Prem. Yeah, obviously it was great fun
19:12
playing against players in there that, you know, I've they get
19:15
talked about, they score loads of runs and you just get, you
19:17
get getting to bowl at them, not necessarily even getting them
19:19
out. I mean, getting to play against
19:21
them, it's like, wow, this is this is brilliant.
19:23
This is where I want to be. Yeah, especially after watching,
19:26
say, my brother and my dad play in that league, so it felt great
19:29
to play in it. And obviously another generation
19:33
of the Greens playing ECB Premier League cricket.
19:37
Yeah, yeah, it was. It does feel nice knowing that
19:41
both my brother, both my brothers and my dad have had the
19:45
opportunities to play in the leagues because I love club
19:50
cricket. Obviously playing at P at the
19:51
Town now I love club cricket. It's it's good fun on a weekend,
19:55
great bunch of lads as well so. Right, cracking stuff, right.
19:58
We're coming up to 6:30. We're just going to take a short
20:01
break here, but we'll be back with Alex Green very shortly.
20:15
You're listening to PCR sports. Welcome back, Yes you are
20:25
listening to the PCR Sports Show here on PCR FM as we're here
20:29
every Friday 6 till 7, bringing you the local sporting headlines
20:34
and guests from in and around our city.
20:38
Tonight is no different. We've got Alex Green with this
20:41
England Under 19 cricketer and he's recently returned from the
20:45
World Cup with a runners up medal.
20:49
How was that that final? It was, it was tough.
20:53
It was tough playing, yeah. But obviously the morning of
20:56
like you warming up. Because he'd been poorly for the
20:59
semi final, haven't you? Unfortunately I was ill the
21:01
night before the semi final, so unfortunately the team doctor
21:04
ruled me out. Yeah.
21:04
So obviously I was, I was devastated.
21:06
Like everything was going through my head when I was
21:09
sleeping that night. So we might we could win and I
21:11
could be fine to play or we could lose and I wouldn't get
21:15
the chance because I was ill. But no, it was I'm, I'm yeah,
21:20
happy that the boys got us through in the semi final.
21:22
But yeah, the the final, it was a shame.
21:26
But now looking back on it, you think playing in a World Cup
21:29
final is like not, not many people can say that.
21:33
I think England have only been there twice before that and only
21:36
won it once. So yeah, it's.
21:41
It's, it's part of your development, isn't it?
21:43
That tournament, I guess you're under, you're playing under 19.
21:45
It's certainly not the, you know, it's a great opportunity
21:48
for you to where you started at Market Deeping, playing for
21:51
Peterborough Town on the books of Leicestershire, coming
21:53
through Stanford School. You know, all of those things
21:56
have got you to this moment. But it's, it's, it's another
21:59
stepping stone, isn't it part of your career?
22:01
Yeah, absolutely. Well, obviously you can learn a
22:03
lot about your cricket and about yourself and winning, but you
22:07
also you learn a lot from losing.
22:10
So of that, unfortunately I've also lost two under 18 county
22:15
T20 finals, right, OK, so that's not exactly the same as a World
22:19
Cup final, but you know, you learn a lot about your cricket
22:25
and I've definitely learnt a lot in the last couple of weeks
22:27
since so. Yeah, indeed.
22:29
And I guess coming back off it, you've had a little bit more
22:32
time to reflect now as well. Yeah, because when you're in the
22:34
heat of it, when you're when it was warm out there as well, it
22:37
was. Definitely, definitely warm.
22:39
But yeah, obviously reflecting on it, everything was like going
22:43
through your head when you're on the pitch when someone's getting
22:46
175 off or 8080 balls. So like reflecting on it, you're
22:52
looking at it. He's a ridiculous talent.
22:54
Like he's once in a generation kind of player.
22:57
So it was, yeah, it was a shame to lose.
23:00
But I mean, losing to a player that's done something like that,
23:04
you kind of just have to say fair play.
23:05
And yeah, and he's only 14 as well.
23:07
Yeah, 14/14/14 and. He's doing stuff like that.
23:11
It was, yeah. It's ridiculous.
23:12
Yeah. Well, well, congratulations.
23:15
Well done. You know, as you say, you've
23:17
brought the medal in the shiny medal, but it may only be just a
23:20
runners up medal, but you know, to play for England, any level
23:24
and you've done it in England in the 19 level.
23:26
Absolutely fantastic. So congratulations on that.
23:30
See, straight back into pre season now, Yeah, you know, did
23:33
you get a week or two off a few days?
23:36
Yeah, we came back. Well, the final was on a Friday,
23:39
we came back on a Sunday and then bar was back into training
23:42
by the Thursday. Wow.
23:44
So. Lester just said get back over
23:46
here. Oh yeah.
23:48
As much as I would have liked some time off, I think it was
23:52
difficult to. Obviously coming off quite hot
23:54
off that final, it was difficult for me to keep sitting at home
23:59
thinking because I didn't want to keep thinking about it.
24:01
But getting back into training, yeah, was good fun, you know,
24:04
good seeing the boys, Leicester after about a month not seeing
24:08
them. So yeah, it was good to get back
24:10
in pretty pretty soon. Yeah, I presume you grew up
24:13
pretty quickly out there, you know, since that environment.
24:16
Yeah, it was, it was. It was different to anything
24:19
we've had, sort of. I've been fortunate enough to
24:21
play a few under 19 tours now, but there was nothing like the
24:26
first game against Pakistan where there was like camera
24:30
crews everywhere. Like some commentators, you
24:34
think, wow, I like there was Ian Bishop was out there
24:37
commentating, commentating on the final.
24:39
And he's a fast bowler of high repute as well.
24:41
He. Was ridiculous player and
24:42
however many times you listen to him on the TV or the radio and
24:46
you think, wow, like he's a he's a legend of the game that was.
24:50
But yeah, it was it was it was a good experience, Yeah.
24:54
Something that obviously I might never get again.
24:56
You never know how kind of your career is going to pan out.
24:59
But yeah, it was brilliant. So here and now you're back at
25:03
Leicestershire pre season training, you've predominantly
25:07
played white ball cricket, 50 over cricket, looking to get
25:12
into the red ball game. You know, you've played one
25:14
county game as you said, but I guess at this stage you just
25:17
want to make sure that your skills are suited to all types.
25:20
Yeah, absolutely. Like, yeah, being fortunate
25:22
enough to play 50 over cricket, It's it's it's a great format.
25:28
Obviously with how cricket's developing, there's T20 leagues
25:33
all around the world. Obviously it would be loved as a
25:34
player in those. But to play for your county in a
25:37
kind of prestigious competition, obviously we do quite well in
25:41
the metro at Leicester. Yeah, it's been good fun.
25:45
But obviously, yeah, trying to get into the Red Bull team,
25:49
that's the main kind of focus of training at the moment, because
25:51
those are the games you play first.
25:52
Yeah, and that's a different mindset, I guess, because that's
25:55
a longer format of the game in terms of your skill set as well
25:58
when you're bowling. Obviously with the bowling it's
26:00
trying to bowl is meant like I could bowl 20 to 25 overs in the
26:04
day and I've got I've got to keep trying to put it in the
26:08
same place every ball. So yeah, obviously that's built
26:11
like building the fitness, building the technique.
26:14
Eating right. Eating right, obviously it's
26:17
difficult on your birthday week, but yeah, eating well, it's all
26:20
the nutrition, the fitness, it's all the like strength and then
26:25
all the bowling that you've got to do as well.
26:26
It's it's tough work. But I mean, that's the dream to
26:29
play as much as I can for Leicester.
26:30
So yeah. And you're 6 foot six.
26:33
Yeah, you still growing? I've slowed down now.
26:36
OK, well. I don't.
26:38
I don't think I'm doing too much, too much more growing.
26:40
OK, so. Yeah, it's just thankful because
26:43
a lot of, well, growing pains when I was young.
26:45
Yeah, with the old, with the knees.
26:46
And the spins. Yeah.
26:48
So yeah. But thankfully I've slowed down.
26:52
See 6 foot 6. But from a bowling perspective,
26:54
that ball's coming out at what, 7 foot plus?
26:57
Yeah. So, yeah, quite.
26:58
It's a high release point, which is I think quite, quite a strong
27:03
part of my game as well. So it gets me a lot of extra
27:06
bounce, yeah, lift off the pitch.
27:08
So I do like bowling bounces. Which you're a fast bowler is,
27:13
but it's natural, isn't it? That's that fiery trait you
27:15
have. It's natural, but yeah, being
27:17
tall, it gives you a little bit of extra bounce.
27:20
Yeah, yeah, it's good. It's not.
27:21
I like doing, I like bowling. Bounce.
27:23
Cracky stuff. So from a Leicestershire
27:25
perspective, you made your debut in the summer of 2024, yes.
27:28
Can you, you know, look back on that?
27:31
What games did you play and how are you feeling?
27:34
I guess. Yeah, it was.
27:35
Obviously it was, it was a brilliant experience.
27:38
Obviously I do. I'd remember the the day I got
27:41
kind of called up to the squad because I was meant to be going
27:47
to the Leicester ground to catch a bus for an Academy game up to
27:52
Durham. OK, wow.
27:54
I was packing the car with my bags.
27:56
I left my phone upstairs so I run upstairs to get it and I
27:59
realised I got like 7 missed calls for the Academy coach.
28:02
So I obviously I call him back and I go well what's wrong,
28:05
What's wrong? He's like, greenie, where are
28:06
you? I'm like, oh, I've missed the
28:08
bus here. Like my mum's going to be
28:09
driving me up to Durham like 4 hours here, she's not going to
28:12
be chuffed. And then he goes well don't
28:15
come, you're not going to come to the game.
28:17
So I was obviously quite confused on why.
28:19
And then he totally fortunate enough to join the first team
28:23
squad at their next game at Kibworth against Surrey.
28:27
Obviously that I seriously said that, OK.
28:30
Your mind was kind of like. What?
28:32
Why? How?
28:34
Yeah, pretty much everything went through my head.
28:36
And then I was lucky enough to get a call from the head coach,
28:40
Alfonso Thomas, and the director of cricket, Claude Henderson,
28:43
not too long later to say, yeah, we want you to join up.
28:48
So I thought, wow, I get to, there's about four or five more
28:50
games left in the tournament. Why I get to I get to run drinks
28:54
with people like Ajinkya Rahane, Peter Hanskin.
28:57
People have played Test cricket for their country.
28:59
And he's watched on TV. Yeah, watch on.
29:01
You watch on TV or you go to the grounds that I remember that
29:08
season, 2024, I went to watch the first County Championship
29:11
game at Leicester and then I was fortunate I played in the last,
29:15
which obviously that when I look back on that year, that's kind
29:18
of how I how I judge it on how quickly kind of things can
29:21
change. Yeah, indeed, you.
29:22
Keep. Kind of OK persevering and just
29:25
playing and loving the game. But yeah, I remember joining the
29:29
squad. It was it was amazing.
29:32
And then we. So what were you then, 1677?
29:36
I was 17. Yeah.
29:37
So. In a room full of adults.
29:39
I mean, yeah, it was, it was. I wasn't allowed on the group
29:42
chat. Yeah, because I.
29:43
Was understandable under 18, yeah.
29:46
I kind of just speak to the coaches, let me know when to be
29:49
there. Yeah.
29:50
And then when I was at the game and I got told right, you'll
29:53
come on the bus with us to Yorkshire the next day.
29:57
So I think great again, gets away a day, brilliant.
30:00
And then I'm warming up on that day, kind of just going about my
30:06
business and I knew I wasn't going to play.
30:10
And then Alfonso Thomas comes up to me and goes, you know, you're
30:14
going to play today like. I'm playing lost the word
30:20
speechless. It was like they hadn't got my
30:23
shirt printed with my name and number yet and I just might
30:27
remember going going out onto the pitch.
30:29
It was amazing. Yeah, Yorkshire.
30:32
Yorkshire away at Scarborough. OK Oh and Scarborough is a
30:36
lovely place as well. Isn't it the festival?
30:38
Cricket ground, yeah, kind of. It's a it's got a history, yeah,
30:42
quite a big history of that ground, like being their second
30:45
team ground away from Headingley.
30:47
So yeah, getting to play there, taking two wickets as well.
30:51
Kind of think if this is the only game I play, I'll be I'll
30:53
be they'll be brilliant with. That Can you remember your first
30:55
two wickets? Yeah, I remember.
30:57
Were they bouncers 1? 1.
31:00
Was almost a bouncer. It's kind of a short ish
31:03
delivery. Yeah, George Hill, he was about
31:06
to try to pull it right and it was caught at mid wicket by
31:11
Peter Hanscomb. OK.
31:13
And then my second one, he was done best.
31:15
Obviously he played for England. So quite a quite a good scalp,
31:20
quite a nice wicket to get in your first game.
31:22
Yeah, caught at backward points. Yeah.
31:25
So that's that's your first few games I guess in terms of
31:30
playing within that brings you to the 2025 season and
31:33
expectations last year. Obviously you know from an
31:36
England Young Lions perspective, you've developed so quickly and
31:40
really got into their sort of squad setup.
31:42
Yeah. So, yeah, the 2025 summer series
31:46
against India, obviously it was great to be a part of,
31:51
especially playing Vaibhav Sri Avanchi for the first time.
31:56
Obviously it was just off him scoring 100 in the IPL.
31:59
So all like mesmerized getting to play him.
32:03
And then coming off of that, I thought, well, I'll be nice to
32:08
sign and get a similar amount of games, three or four games maybe
32:10
in the 50 over. But getting to play first game
32:13
was amazing because I think like you just want to play cricket.
32:18
Obviously been not being in the team for the first kind of half
32:21
of the season in the County Championship and 20 over stuff.
32:25
It was, yeah, it was nice to get that first game and obviously it
32:28
went better than I expected really.
32:30
So, yeah, yeah. And it's just growing from there
32:32
effectively. Yeah, it just kept kept getting
32:35
opportunities in the team. Yeah, yeah, it kind of kind of
32:38
went up from there. Unfortunately we didn't qualify
32:40
for the knockout rounds, but yeah, it was a great opportunity
32:44
to are. You still pinching yourself at
32:46
that moment last year, last season, yeah.
32:48
Sometime, yeah, when I I do some I'll watch it back, watch my
32:52
first game of the season against Surrey back and I think.
32:55
And got quite a scalp in that first game, didn't you?
32:59
Yeah, Ben, folks, sorry about second ball of my spell, which
33:04
is, yeah, a nice way to get it started because I was obviously
33:07
a little bit nervous first game of the summer.
33:10
But yeah, it was nice to kind of relax, be a little bit.
33:13
Not bad figures either. No, can you 5 for 25 off spot on
33:18
7.1 it's yeah, I got a good memory.
33:21
Dream start, yeah. Dream start.
33:24
So yeah, it was nice to get one like I think one of FIFA for
33:31
Leicester. Wow.
33:32
And then moving on to the game against Gloucester the the next
33:36
week being I managed to get another one and I'm like I'm
33:42
just kind of sat in the on the bus home after the game going.
33:45
I've I haven't done this, but. 2/5 is literally a week. 2/5 is
33:49
in a week I think. Is that where you've got to
33:52
control your emotion in terms of, you know, you've got to that
33:55
stage and you're thinking, you know, some young players may
34:00
think I've made it, yeah. But yeah, it it, it kind of hit
34:05
quite quick after I got the, after I finished my 10 overs
34:08
against Gloucester is kind of like, well, walking down to fine
34:11
leg and I think, well, this is brilliant.
34:14
And then realised they only need about 15 off kind of four overs
34:18
I think, right. We could be in a tight, could be
34:20
in for a tight one here. Unfortunately we lost.
34:22
But yeah, it was nice to kind of sit down on the bus and go, you
34:26
know, this is, this is nice. Yeah, but we had a busy week
34:29
that week. Well, I got everything really.
34:32
We had a I think we played Gloucester on the Monday, then
34:37
played Nottingham on the Wednesday and then on that
34:40
Thursday a level results day. Wow and.
34:44
My driving test. Still going through your
34:45
education at that point? Yeah, yeah.
34:47
And then we played Hampshire on the Thursday, so on on the
34:51
Friday, sorry. So it was, yeah.
34:53
Quite a couple of whirlwind years for you. 2024 and 2025
34:58
then. So absolutely brilliant stuff,
35:00
right? We just need to take another
35:01
short break, but we'll be back with Alex Green after these
35:04
messages. You're listening to PCR sports.
35:18
Welcome back. This is the PCR Sports show.
35:20
If you have missed any of our show this evening, you can
35:24
listen back if you go through to our website pcrfm.co.uk you'll
35:30
find the listen again button. And our guest this evening is
35:34
Alex Green, England Under 19, Cricket World Cup runner up and
35:40
started his career out at local club Market Deeping, played for
35:44
Peterborough Town, going through Stanford School.
35:47
And then there's now got a contract with Leicestershire.
35:51
And we've just been going back through his career, how it's
35:54
developed, and it's been a little bit of a whirlwind, you
35:57
could say, over the last two years, 24 and 25.
36:00
Yeah, absolutely. Kind of things just kept coming
36:04
fairly fairly fast. So I was, it was difficult to
36:07
manage at the start especially. There's definitely being in
36:10
school as well. But now I'm finishing, school
36:13
opens up just me, just to play cricket.
36:15
Yeah, you can see the smile on your face.
36:17
Actually. You just love playing cricket,
36:19
don't you? Yeah, cricket is is obviously.
36:21
I've been playing it all the time.
36:23
You started at the age of 10. Yeah, for the last like, no,
36:26
you're nine years. So any chance I get to hit a
36:30
ball, even if it's in the living room, my mum and dad aren't too
36:33
happy sometimes when the ball's bashing around it off the off
36:38
the walls so. You're talking about, you know,
36:40
just wanting to play cricket. Were you like that in the back
36:43
garden? Did you turn the grass up?
36:45
You know, just bowling or batting.
36:47
Yeah, definitely. Me and my brother playing garden
36:50
cricket, we used to have a little little shit.
36:53
It's probably still on our fridge, a little sheet with all
36:55
of our hundreds on. So you had the most.
36:58
Playing garden cricket. Yeah, absolutely.
37:00
And just during during lockdown, the garden got torn up quite a
37:05
bit because it was cricket a lot of the.
37:07
Time your mum kind of been too impressed.
37:08
No, she's my dad, mainly with the garden.
37:11
Right, OK. I think now it's feeling.
37:13
The I think your dad was encouraging you.
37:15
He. Was encouraging us then, I think
37:17
now when he's trying to reseed the garden every now and then, I
37:21
don't think he's too pleased we chained it up.
37:24
So. Brilliant stuff.
37:27
Right. So you're into your, what'd you
37:29
say, third season with Leicestershire, then?
37:32
Yes, Yeah. OK.
37:35
First couple of seasons you're perhaps a little bit more of an
37:38
unknown quantity, shall we say? Yeah, but you can't really say
37:42
that now for 2026, can you? Countyside's going to know who
37:45
you are and you've just played for England.
37:47
Yeah, that's that's the nice thing about getting the
37:50
opportunity to play for the under nineteens in a competition
37:54
like the World Cup. It gives you a little bit of
37:56
exposure I think for all of us really.
37:59
Like there's definitely some players that might not have been
38:02
as well known before, but now I'd say Manny Lumsden for
38:06
example, who's only 17 and coming off taking the most
38:10
wickets in the competition, he's definitely going to be like a
38:13
name that people will look out for now.
38:17
And he's got the opportunity, I guess.
38:18
If he's only 17, will he get to another play, another Under 19
38:21
World Cup? Or is it ever?
38:22
Oh. Yes, he'll get to play the next
38:23
one. Yeah, so.
38:26
If selected. If selected, hopefully, yeah,
38:28
you know, he might be playing somewhere bigger.
38:30
But exactly that. Yeah, he no, it's, it's a good
38:33
competition to get exposure. Yeah.
38:35
So. Cracking stuff.
38:37
What do you do away away from cricket?
38:39
Let's touch on that for a moment or two, you know, how do you
38:42
relax? How do you switch off on
38:43
cricket? I can see your enthusiasm for
38:46
it, but mentally you need to switch off I guess.
38:48
Yeah, mentally, I mean, it's it's difficult because I switch
38:53
off from doing cricket by sitting and watching, whether
38:58
that be games that are on live or watching highlights back or
39:03
anything. But yeah, it's no, I do like
39:07
just spending time, say I like going, going out with my friends
39:11
just is that being the town, going to the gym with them, you
39:16
know, it's just, it's nice to get away sometimes, especially
39:19
after kind of, it was nice after the World Cup, obviously being
39:23
away for a month to come back and kind of see people they
39:26
haven't seen for a while, especially because they're at
39:28
university as well. So going to have a coffee with
39:31
them. It's nice so.
39:34
Yeah, but I no doubt everybody's always asking you questions
39:36
about cricket as well, so you can't switch off.
39:38
Yeah, especially after the after the final, a lot of my mates and
39:43
people, it's oh, what was it like bowling at Suri Avanti?
39:46
And it wasn't pleasant. It's the same answer every time.
39:49
It's yeah, it wasn't pleasant. So.
39:50
But you learnt a lot from it now, absolutely.
39:52
Yeah, definitely. If I if I got the opportunity to
39:55
do it again, there'd be a lot of different things that I'd do,
39:58
but. What would you do differently
40:00
then? Well, maybe bowler, I'll buy a
40:02
couple more slower balls. Maybe, yeah, change the fields a
40:05
little bit, little things like that.
40:07
Yeah, that could have had an out different output.
40:09
Yeah, the way that it was batting, I really highly doubt
40:12
they would have. Brilliant stuff right?
40:15
So you're in pre season at the moment ahead of the county
40:18
season with Leicestershire. 4 day cricket starts first then.
40:22
Yeah, 4th of April. Is wow.
40:24
First game we have against Sussex OK at Leicestershire so.
40:28
Got a hand warmers ready? Absolutely, yeah, they're
40:30
getting ready. I mean, we've got warm up games
40:32
on well, my first warm up game on March 18th.
40:36
Wow. So it could be it could be
40:38
chilly, it could be quite wet yeah.
40:39
You know any, any cricket we get will be nice so.
40:42
Yeah, where's your first warm up game?
40:44
It's at Leicester OK against Leeds Bradford uni.
40:47
OK. Yeah, and then we play
40:49
Derbyshire in a warm up game the week after and then there you
40:53
go, we're into the sea. Straight into it.
40:55
So no pre season tore away then? No, unfortunately not.
41:00
Nothing too sunny. Nothing.
41:02
Nothing, nothing really. No.
41:04
OK. Do a little bit of kind of golf,
41:07
bit of bit more training, but yeah, that's about it.
41:10
Wow. And then literally you will
41:12
notice hand warmers because as you've been playing cricket for
41:15
what best part of nine years now, you've played in a few
41:17
colder surroundings no doubt. Yeah, definitely.
41:20
I mean being playing in the 50 over competitions, usually in
41:26
August, it is quite nice because you do get the sun.
41:29
Yeah, but especially starting off the season, say in the
41:32
second, say playing second team cricket or so, running drinks
41:35
for the first team when it is kind of windy and cold.
41:38
Got the beanie on. As much as much as it is not
41:41
nice playing in that weather, it is nice sometimes, yeah, kind of
41:45
getting out. And speeding goals.
41:47
Jumpers on playing cricket is is good fun sometimes.
41:50
Cracking stuff. How do you see your season?
41:54
You know, what are you looking at?
41:55
You know, obviously you've played a lot of white ball
41:57
cricket, the 50 over format, but I guess Red Bull cricket is on
42:00
your radar. Yeah, especially as that comes
42:02
first with we've got 7 games before the T20 start, right?
42:06
So yeah, all I'm doing at the moment is kind of practicing my
42:10
Red Bull, making my accuracy, my fitness is up.
42:14
But you know how our season went last year, getting promoted to
42:19
Division One. You never know how it can shape
42:21
up because the teams will be completely different.
42:23
Yeah, but obviously we won, won the league last year.
42:28
So they might go with the same team, which you you cannot get
42:32
frustrated with because obviously as much as I would
42:34
like to play, it's great. I love seeing the team win.
42:37
Yeah. And I love helping out wherever
42:39
I can. And I guess it's just knuckling
42:40
down, doing your bit in training, making sure you're
42:42
ready for that call when needed. Yeah, exactly.
42:45
Like there's only so much I can do.
42:47
If I make sure I'm doing like the best I can do, it's it's not
42:51
down to me whether the team, I get picked in the team.
42:55
So as long as I'm doing everything I know I can do,
42:58
yeah, then yeah, there's nothing there's that's alright with me.
43:00
Yeah, exactly. You'll be ready and waiting for
43:02
that call up. Yeah, definitely.
43:04
Whenever they want me and I'll be there, so.
43:06
Brilliant stuff Alex, thank you for joining us in the studio
43:09
this evening. Congratulations once again.
43:12
If you say I know you're it was a runners up medal.
43:14
But yeah, to play for England under nineteens at the Cricket
43:17
World Cup recently and bring back a medal.
43:21
I mean, it's probably your wildest dreams when you first
43:23
set out on it. Absolutely.
43:24
There's there was nothing better than that, so.
43:26
Cracking stuff. Good luck for the season ahead
43:29
as well. Thank you very much.
43:30
Brilliant stuff, dipamp. Thank you.
43:32
It's another hour that's flown past this evening so quickly,
43:35
doesn't it? It does next week we've got the
43:38
Posh Women on the show ahead of their fixture against Worcester
43:42
City where they'll be playing at London Road next Sunday, which
43:45
is Sunday the 8th of March. And we'll have a couple of
43:49
players in from the squad talking all about that game and
43:52
women's football. But thank you once again for
43:55
joining us on this Friday evening.
43:57
Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to having your
44:00
company once again next Friday at 6:00 PM.