“I want to be the first in line to step up” – Alfie is fired up and ready to go
Alfie Ogborne can’t wait to ‘put his foot on the gas’ and start bowling at batters on the grass.
“My winter has been going well,” the 22-year-old said when we caught up with him following an early morning bowling session at the Cooper Associates County Ground. “I’ve been working hard and working closely with Steve Kirby and Jason Kerr. I ended the summer with a back injury, so I’ve been working with them to try and make a few changes in my action and so far that’s been really positive.
“I’ve also had the benefit of having two or three months working one to one with our Physio, Laura Holmes and S&C Coach, Joseph Satt and now I’ve got greater clarity of my strengths and weaknesses, which is always good to know as a young player going into the season.
“I was a bit disappointed with last season if I’m honest. In hindsight, maybe I didn’t work hard enough off the pitch and when I got my opportunity against Hampshire I didn’t bowl well and was chasing my tail for the rest of the summer.
“When it came to the Metro Bank One Day Cup, I took some wickets and impacted the games in the way I needed to, which is always a nice way to finish. However, ultimately I would like to be offering more to the team and to the Club than I was.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Alfie said: “I’m excited and have made some key changes in my action which I hope will help from a longevity perspective and I think it’s improved my skill set so far. I’m feeling good and I’m just eager to get back into everything now.
“As a bowler I live for the competitive side of things, so it’s been a tough winter for me, but it’s been a really good learning experience understanding myself. I’m going into my fifth season now and I’ve got a good plan, good clarity of what Jason wants, and what the team want and I think that I can provide something different. I’m young, I want to bowl all day, and my pace is increasing. I will always back myself when the going gets tough – that’s when I want to bowl.
“I feel that there’s a real opportunity for me. If one of the senior guys gets a niggle and has to miss a week then I want to be the first in line to step up if I’m not already playing. If I am already playing, then bring it on! I’d love to play every single game.”
What would constitute a good season for Alfie?
“Being a more consistent presence in the first team. In red ball cricket I want to be a regular and part of that conveyor belt of rotation which is what I was close to being last year. I want to continue to lead the attack in the 50-over comp and if the opportunity arises it would be great to make an appearance in the T20 competition.”
Alfie added: “I’m really looking forward to getting out onto the grass in Abu Dhabi and to feeling the warmth of the sun, especially after the winter that we’ve had this year.”
Steve Kirby, who has been working with the young bowler this winter, said: “Alfie has worked really hard on tidying his action up during the winter and that will put him into a better place and help him to become more consistent and more robust.
“Obviously, we’ve lost a few bowlers so there’s a fantastic opportunity this year for him to shine. He’s got fitter and stronger and got that fire and steel that a professional bowler needs. I believe he’s got a very bright future.”
