Somerset appoints Steve Kirby as bowling coach
Dec 18, 2020
Somerset [UK] December 18 : England's County Cricket Club Somerset on Friday announced that Steve Kirby has re-joined the Club as the team's new bowling coach.
Steve, who leaves his current post at Derbyshire where he was Assistant Coach (Bowling Lead), played for Somerset with the distinction between 2011 and 2014, claiming over 180 wickets for the Club across the three formats of the game.
He also appeared in two T20 finals for the Club and was part of the Champions League side that reached the semi-finals in 2011.
His new role, which will commence in February, will see Steve return to the Cooper Associates County Ground to provide specialist bowling coaching and support to the senior professional squad. He will also play a key role in ensuring a smooth transition for high-potential bowlers into the professional game.
"I'm really happy to be coming back to Somerset. I had some amazing times there as a player. Since then I've had quite a journey as a coach, initially with the MCC and then with Derbyshire," said Steve in an official statement.
"Somerset have a fantastic bowling unit, with International players and players who are on the verge of making that step up. I'll be working with some of the best bowlers in the country, and the bowlers in Somerset's exceptional Pathway system are really exciting too. I'm really looking forward to helping add to that pipeline in the future," he added.
Steve will work closely with the head coach, Jason Kerr, the Club's Skills Coaches, the Sport Science and Medicine Team plus the Pathway Coaching Team, where the relationship with Academy & Pathway Bowling Coach, Andrew Griffiths will be key to ensuring a continued conveyor belt of bowling talent makes its way through to the highest level.
Somerset Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry said: "We were really pleased with the level of interest that we received regarding the vacancy, and we undertook a robust process in identifying Steve as the stand-out fit for us."
"He has been on an incredible journey since playing for the Club and has undertaken a number of coaching roles in that time. During this period, the growth that he has shown in supporting player's development really impressed us," he added.
