Emilio Gay: "Absolutely made for the longer format"

Northants batsman Emilio Gay emerged from the Bob Willis Trophy as one to watch. Here, his old school coach remembers the day he knew the Bedford School alumnus had a future in the professional game

The Bob Willis Trophy provided county fans with a much-needed fix of domestic first-class cricket. For a long time the prospect of a summer without any four day action was a very real, very concerning possibility. 

But the BWT was a genuine success and hats off to those who made it happen. An eventful group stage and a showpiece Lord’s final were a superb advert for the county game, but so too were the opportunities handed to dozens of young players. They were given the platform to announce themselves in the four day game, rather than in the shorter formats – usually the first shop window where youngsters can promote their talents.

One such player was Northamptonshire batsman Emilio Gay, whose maiden first-class 50 (77 not out) took his side to victory against Glamorgan, ensuring they chased down a potential banana skin of a target. The 20-year-old is credited with outstanding maturity and composure at the crease, traits he has had since his school days at Bedford School.

“Emilio is absolutely made for the longer format,” Gary Steer, director of cricket at Bedford School, tells The Cricketer.

“He has excellent technique, plays straight and plays each ball on its merit. The thing that stands out for me about him is his temperament which is first class.”

^{Steer has long been developing the careers of succesful schoolboy cricketers at Bedford}

Gay was an outstanding schoolboy cricketer but not one who would irresponsibly bludgeon bowling attacks. Schools’ cricket always occupies a pool of players who are simply  better than their contemporaries. Their co-ordination is sharper, natural technique stronger and appetite to learn hungrier. For those lucky few, schools’ cricket can be a playground, a free arena to take more risks and test shots that they may play when they representing a higher standard.

But Gay was different. He wouldn’t take unnecessary risks or tee off from the start, rather he piled on the runs until the job was done.

“He wasn’t the type of guy who would get to 30 and get out,” Steer continues. “Once he got in he knew he was going to get a big score. More often than not that would be 75-plus but it was very rare he would get out in the 30s.

“He never got flustered by bowlers, and you had to work hard to get him out. He would just bat and bat and bat. He would keep ticking over at the start then towards the end of the innings would go hard. He was always the backbone of the innings.”

Perhaps Gay’s finest moment in a Bedford shirt came in their annual two-day fixture against Tonbridge in 2016, with Zak Crawley lining up for the opposition. 

Contrary to Gay’s aforementioned ability to get in and stay in, batting first, he was dismissed for 33 (still off 72 deliveries and the side’s top score) and without their usual backbone their batting order went limp, collapsing to 85 all out with England rugby back-row Ben Earl taking 5 for 19.

Tonbridge quickly posted 330 for 6 dec to seemingly put Bedford out of the game. Crawley opened the batting and scored 43.

245 runs behind, things got worse for Bedford as they lost their first wicket in the second over, but this brought Gay to the crease. 92 overs later he departed for 145 off a mammoth 282 balls to give Tonbridge something to chase.

Another Crawley 50 in the second innings did see Tonbridge home but Bedford youngster had made his statement as one to watch.

^{Gay put in an eye-catching performance against a Tonbridge side that included Crawley and England rugby player Earl}

“Emilio was superb,” Steer remembers. “I just turned around to the boys and said ‘this is how you bat in the longer format of the game’. You get yourself in, take ones and twos at the start, look for the bad ball and punish it when it comes along.

“It was a incredible knock. That was the innings for me where I thought this lad has a chance of a career in county cricket.”

Steer was initially struggling to remember in which year Gay played this innings, understandable considering he had also got a century the other time he had played in a two-day game at Tonbridge. Gay was never satisfied though with just crossing off milestones, like against Tonbridge, one ton wasn’t enough – he had to get two.

“I enjoyed talking to him about the game because our thinking on how to bat in the longer format is very similar. He had the intelligence to work out, certainly at school level, all he had to do was hang around and wait for the bad ball, which you do get, and he was good enough to put them away.

“Emilio would listen to anybody and everybody about the game, take it on board and add it to his armoury.”

Though, runs aren’t the only thing that Gay has contributed to Bedford.

“Anytime we’ve asked anything of him he has helped us. He’s written articles for our tour guides and does pop into school every now and again to watch a bit of cricket, his brother is still at the school.

“He came in at the start of last year and gave a presentation to all of our elite sportsmen on combining schoolwork with sport. He explained how best to get all your work done and still be able to go out and practice, play all matches and be ready for exams. I heard it was an outstanding presentation.”

Of course, Gay has benefitted from the opportunities afforded to him by Bedford, through excellent facilities, structured training and matches on excellent surfaces in a variety of formats. The coaching too from Steer and former Northants and current Bedfordshire player Tom Brett has nurtured his development, but Gay has improved and enhanced those mental elements of batting that are almost impossible to coach.

“One conversation that neither I or Brett have ever had to have with Emilio is about giving your wicket away. He is very clear about what his plans are, to bat for long periods and be the backbone of the innings.

“I’d like to think he’s got a great chance of having a successful county career.”

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