Name: Duncan Moore
Sport: Cricket
How and when did you first start playing cricket?
I started playing cricket when I was eight years old, but I have been surrounded by cricket since I can remember. My Dad has always played cricket and loves the sport as much as I do and I would often go down to the cricket club to watch my Dad play on a Saturday afternoon. My sister is also a huge lover of cricket and I would often ask her to bowl balls at me. We used to play together all the time and sometimes even be in trouble for hitting the balls too far off of the pitch.
What does a typical week look like for you? How many times a week do you train?
I train 4-5 times a week; Tuesdays and Thursdays are academy training and Mondays are 1:1 training with Mr Jones. During my Sports Excellence training, I get the opportunity to do my strength and conditioning. On a Monday, Wednesday and Friday I focus on cardio and some strength work and Tuesday and Thursday I’m with the S&C coach at the academy going through my programme. Saturday’s I usually have a school fixture and Sundays are my rest day. Until I start the season most days are packed with either training or matches.
You are aiming to get a professional contract in a years’ time, which would be a tremendous achievement. How has the Sports Excellence Programme at St Lawrence College helped and supported you on this journey?
The Sports Excellence programme has allowed me to develop my skills and I have been given opportunities to have 1:1 sessions with either Mr Jones or Mr Simmons who have both helped and supported me to get to where I am today and continue to do so.
You’ve already achieved a lot in your career. What are some of your long-term goals for the future?
One of my long-term goals for the future is to go out to Australia for a season to find out what the conditions are like. I’m hoping it will help to develop my game even more as I will have to adapt to the new conditions. I know Mr Hill is going to be making sure I get on the plane! I would also like to achieve a rookie contract in the next couple of years and hopefully make my 1st XI debut for Kent.
Out of the many games you’ve played in your career so far, what is your favourite game you’ve taken part in?
My fondest memory of a game would be when I played Sussex in two T20s for Kent U18s. I had gone into these games with a bad run of form and I was starting to doubt myself and questioning whether I would get back into the squad next year. I took a moment to compose myself, relax and have fun. With that, I went out to bat and scored 87 not out and helped our team out of a ditch after being 9-2 after 2.1 overs. This innings stands out to me because I not only proved my ability to everyone else but most importantly I proved to myself that I can do it and that I deserve to be in Kent.
The Sports Excellence programme has allowed me to develop my skills and I have been given opportunities to have 1:1 sessions with either Mr Jones or Mr Simmons who have both helped and supported me to get to where I am today and continue to do so.
As well as being a very talented cricket player, are there any sports or hobbies you enjoy doing?
Before I played cricket, I always played tennis which I still like to play occasionally, but it’s hard to have time to do so as I play so much cricket. But to be honest I am obsessed with cricket so that’s my priority.
Do you have any advice for anybody else interested in learning more about cricket or wanting to improve their skills?
There are a lot of cricket clubs around Kent and if you’re interested I would suggest just jumping straight into it. If you enjoy it then keep on going and learn more about the sport to keep developing your skills. Cricket for me is a very mentally demanding sport so I think it can also help you to develop your mental toughness which I think is a very valuable trait to have in not only other sports but also in everyday life.
For improving your skills, I think the main thing you need to do is work hard. There might be someone better than you at your club or school but if you work harder than them and keep on working on different elements of your game you will quickly catch up and likely overtake them – and that comes with resilience and the mentality of not giving up.
