The one thing I learnt from Cup Match 2014 is that Bermuda cricket has hope, providing we continue to get our best young players playing in England. What Bermuda witnessed this Cup Match was three young players coming of age, showing that they can not only play, but excel at the highest level of cricket in Bermuda.

It was a pleasure to watch Terryn Fray, Tre Manders and Delray Rawlins show our senior players how to bat in the recent Cup Match. The way they set about building their innings and scoring with such ease was first-class. These three young men are clearly the future of Bermuda cricket. If I was coach of Bermuda, I would build my team around these three and Kamau Leverock, who is in England at present, because they will be around for the next decade.

I admire good cricket, but I had one concern before Cup Match about these three young players and that was whether they were mentally tough enough to play at the next level. Having been around Bermuda cricket for years, I have seen several of our top players perform week in and week out on local soil, but go overseas to play for Bermuda and fail. Some of the players’ failures came from poor techniques, but most of their failures came from simply not being mentally tough enough to apply their skills at the next level. Having conquered Cup Match, the next challenge for them is to do so internationally.

I strongly encourage the Bermuda Cricket Board to utilise its connections in England and get these players, along with our other young players, training at a higher level. These three young men have the potential to play at a very high standard in England, but do not be fooled, they still have a lot to learn. While they have proven they can handle the best Bermuda has to offer, the next level is a lot tougher.

I encourage these young men to take advantage of all the opportunities that come their way. Gain as much international exposure as possible. Too often our young men get caught up wanting to focus on playing in Bermuda and then lose out on opportunities that could open up other doors for them. We cannot allow our young cricketers to think shallow and be excited just to play Cup Match and Eastern Counties, while passing up other opportunities. When you think small, you limit yourself, but if you think big, the world is your oyster.

As a country, we must identify young talent and get them to England in cricket academies or cricket schools, whereby they can train consistently and receive higher-level coaching. This is the only way for us to close the gap on these other countries that have an abundance of internationals playing for them.

This winter Bermuda will be playing in the World Cricket League Division Three qualifiers and it is then when we will see just how far Tre, Terryn and Delray have grown. They will be tested physically and mentally. If they can come through this test with flying colours, it will provide a springboard for a long successful career.

There is no doubt that these three players are gifted and full of potential, but as I tell my players when I coach, potential is just that — potential. Unless that potential is proven out there in the middle, where it counts, then it is potential alone, unfulfilled.

Tre, Terryn and Delray, keep up the good work. You are on the right track to a successful career, but do not get complacent.

The key to bridging the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket is developing a good technique, having a strong work ethic and demanding high standards of yourself. The harder you train, the less likely you will give up or fail.

Quote of the week: You can work really hard, but if you’re not training in the right way you’re not going to improve and get to the level that you want to — Michael Chang