Coaches, Experts & Founders
Coaches, experts and founders families trust
Progress at CLG Academy is driven by the quality of our coaching team, specialist experts, and founders: top-class international cricketers who have played at the highest level, experienced domestic players, and ECB-qualified coaches. That mix gives young players complete support across technical, tactical, physical, and mental development.
Our coaches
Head Coach
Honey Garg
DBS, Safeguarding young cricketers, First aid for sports coaches
Playing experience
- Represented Delhi (India) in under 16 and 19
- Represented North Zone (India)
- Played for Delhi University
- Played professionally for 13 years in top division leagues in different English counties
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Experience spans from club cricket to coaching colts, adults, and women.
- Offers both one-to-one and group sessions which cater to individual needs and enable him to identify and address specific areas for improvement.
- Coaching strengths: strong observational skills and his ability to identify faults and corrective techniques. He has honed these skills over 10 years of training under a coach of many international players, as well as playing and practicing with numerous international players himself.
- Honey holds a DBS, Safeguarding young cricketers certificate, and First aid for sports coach certificate, which demonstrate his commitment to the safety and wellbeing of his players.
The coaching team
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Coach
Steve Woolf
To be confirmed
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile, role, and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
Coach
Dean Minors
ECB Level 1 & 2
Playing experience
- Premier division cricket in Bermuda (various clubs)
- Over 20 years playing international cricket for Bermuda National Men’s Cricket Team
- Northumberland Cricket League; Tynedale Cricket Club, Hexham
- International ICC Men’s World Cup 2007 for Bermuda
- Great Baddow Cricket Club, Essex
- Adolescent: Bermuda National Youth Cricket Teams; First ever International Youth World Cup 1988 in Australia
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Coaching certification: ECB Level 1 & 2
- Coaching experience: Club Cricket, Colts Cricket, School Cricket Teams
- Having the profession of a teacher and coach, my philosophy is to always take a holistic approach with my students to develop them not only on but also off the field of play. Cricket as a sport has a way of strengthening many personal facets: dealing with adversity, dependability, mental resilience, determination, focus/concentration, discipline, etc.
- My objective is to help players learn more about themselves, develop their skills, identify their strengths and build upon those as well as recognising and working on areas of improvement to improve both player and person. At the end one of the biggest takeaways for everyone should be: we had fun!
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Coach
Beathan Bailey
To be confirmed
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile, role, and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
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Coach
Danny Tony Coe
To be confirmed
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile, role, and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
Our experts
County and international specialists
Specialist experts who support academy sessions with elite insight. Full profiles and photos will be completed as they are confirmed.
Expert
Andre Nel
Former South African fast bowler and coach
Playing experience
- Andre Nel, known for his fiery persona and aggressive bowling style, was one of South Africa’s most intimidating fast bowlers. A natural leader and competitor, Nel combined raw pace with a never-say-die attitude.
- International: Represented South Africa in all formats, with a career spanning from 2001 to 2009.
- Established himself as a permanent member of the Test team during the 2003-04 series against the West Indies.
- Played a crucial role in South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2005, claiming 14 wickets with an aggressive and attacking mindset.
- A key member of South Africa’s squad for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, delivering impactful spells against England and Bangladesh.
- Domestic: Played for Easterns, Titans, Lions, and Southern Rocks; English county cricket with Essex, Surrey, and Northamptonshire; Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- After retiring from international cricket in 2009, Nel transitioned to coaching, sharing his wealth of experience to nurture the next generation of cricketers.
- His approach reflects his playing style: focused, passionate, and relentless. He emphasises mental toughness, discipline, and commitment while fostering an environment where players can thrive under pressure.
- His goal is to instill confidence and aggression in bowlers, ensuring they perform at their peak while enjoying the game.
Expert
Tom Westley
Test player for England and captain of Essex
Playing experience
- Tom Westley brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and a graceful batting technique. As a top-order batter, he is known for his composed style and mastery of the leg-side game.
- International: Represented England in Test cricket during 2017. Scored a memorable half-century on Test debut against South Africa at The Oval.
- Essex County Cricket Club: Key figure in Essex’s rise, contributing to multiple County Championship victories, including their 2017 title-winning season.
- Captained Essex to silverware in the Bob Willis Trophy during the pandemic-hit 2020 season.
- Integral to Essex’s 2019 Championship and T20 Blast double.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- As captain of Essex, Tom has demonstrated exceptional leadership. His calm demeanor, strategic mindset, and ability to inspire teammates have made him a respected leader on and off the field.
- Tom believes in combining technical excellence with mental resilience. Cricket, for him, is not only about scoring runs or taking wickets but also about developing life skills like discipline, focus, and adaptability.
- His goal is to inspire cricketers to reach their potential while enjoying every step of their journey.
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Expert
Nick Browne
Essex opening batsman
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
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Expert
Jamie Porter
Essex / England pace bowler
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
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Expert
Noah Thain
To be confirmed
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.
Our founders
The founders of CLG Academy
Rahul Vyas and Piyush Somaiya founded CLG Academy. They remain involved in coaching, programmes, and how families join.
Founder
Rahul Vyas
ECB Level 2
Playing experience
- Division Level Cricket (India) and Surrey Cricket League
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Coaching certification: ECB Level 2
- Coaching experience: Club Cricket Colts coaching
- Coaching philosophy: Adapt to the player’s requirements while providing all-round development. Nurturing and developing young talent at the same time committed to promote the game at all levels.
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Founder
Piyush Somaiya
To be confirmed
Playing experience
- Profile details, credentials, and photo will be added when confirmed by the academy. Fresh headshots are planned for early September.
Coaching experience & philosophy
- Full profile, role, and photo will be published when provided by CLG Academy.