[R]ichard Gleeson who studied sport coaching at the University of Cumbria and graduated in 2009 has been selected for the England Lions Cricket Squad.
After just three years as a professional cricketer the 30 year-old Northamptonshire fast bowler has been called into the squad for the first time for their tour of the West Indies.
He replaces injured Sussex left-armer George Garton who is heading home after sustaining a side injury during the Lions’ warm-up match with a Jamaica XI at Sabina Park.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Gleeson told Northants’ official club website. “I was sat having dinner out with a few of the lads when James Whitaker rang. Just over a year ago I was working as a community coach up at Lancs so to get the opportunity to play for my country is a dream come true, though something I never thought could actually happen. I’m over the moon.”
Gleeson, from Blackpool who has only been playing first-class cricket for three seasons after previously impressing in Minor Counties cricket with Cumberland, had already been called into the North squad for the North-South Series in Barbados next month.
His selection is the latest success story from the University of Cumbria’s sport coaching department.
“We’re delighted another alumni is now on the world stage,” Tim Barry, head of the department for medical and sport sciences at the University of Cumbria, said. “We’ll be following his progress closely.”
Meanwhile sport alumni Andy Findlay, now head of performance analysis at Wolves, is coming to speak to current students at the Lancaster campus later this month.
