Sutton hungry for challenge

Luke Sutton © Getty Images

It is quite literally lunch on the go for Luke Sutton as he heads across the Old Trafford outfield carrying a plate of meat and two veg.

The food has long since gone cold, and the fact that he is late for a meeting with his team-mates will not make it any easier to digest.

But Sutton, despite being occupied way beyond schedule by a seemingly endless stream of journalists, shows no sign of impatience, and it is safe to assume that any grudge his colleagues hold against him for keeping them waiting will not last long.

Easy-going, intelligent and unfailingly polite, it is almost impossible not to warm to Sutton, and significantly less difficult to see how he feels “very comfortable” with his new life at Lancashire.

That he is the centre of attention owes much to his status as Lancashire's sole winter signing, recruited from Derbyshire at the end of last season.

“I needed new cricket and I needed a new beginning – a new environment to be in,” he told ecb.co.uk, a reference in part to the fact that his girlfriend dies in a car crash in 2004. “I wanted a fresh start and a new challenge.

“Lancashire was just such a terrific opportunity that I couldn't turn it down. I wouldn't say my mind was made up as soon as I found out they were interested, but it was pretty close.

“I was so flattered and honoured that such a big club – probably the biggest club in England – wanted to sign me –– that as soon as they got in touch just couldn't get it out of my mind.”

Sutton (left) in action against his prospective employers © Getty Images

Leaving Derbyshire – one of the most unfashionable counties on the circuit and winners of just one County Championship game in 16 attempts last season – for the glamour and grandeur of Old Trafford might seem a logical choice.

Yet it should not be forgotten that Sutton sacrificed the captaincy when he bade farewell to Derbyshire, whom he served with distinction for six seasons.

“When you make a decision to leave you have to try and put all of the things together and try and work out what's best for you,” he said.

“I loved captaincy – it's something that I thrived on – and I don't know if I'll ever get the opportunity to do it again.

“But the combined package meant that it was right for me to leave, and I'm really happy with where I am right now.”

When Sutton speaks of “different expectation levels and different pressures” at Lancashire, one's mind is drawn towards the demands for success from the biggest membership in the country.

But there is also the not inconsiderable matter of taking over wicketkeeping duties from Warren Hegg, a Lancashire legend who hung up his well-worn gloves last year after a career spanning 337 first class matches.

“Warren is an iconic figure at Lancashire and rightly so," Sutton said. "He played 20 years of top cricket here and was a hugely popular guy.

“They are huge shoes to fill, but I knew that when I signed and it's just part of the challenge.”

Warren Hegg has been a huge source of advice for Sutton © Getty Images

Sutton's desire to learn and improve has already seen him seeking advice from Hegg, who remains at Old Trafford in a corporate sponsorship capacity.

“When I signed he was one of the first people I contacted – I would have been daft not to tap into a guy who's kept wicket at Old Trafford for 20 years,” Sutton added.

“We've done a lot of one-on-one sessions, technical sessions, and we've had a lot of discussions about different wickets, different bowlers, different conditions.

“He has been a terrific support for me, and I'm sure he will be throughout the season.

“He's here, so on an unofficial level he's part of the set-up. I asked him to help me out and he's been great.”

That cricket manager Mike Watkinson has entrusted Sutton with such a daunting task speaks volumes for the esteem in which the 29-year-old is held, not only for his abilities behind the stumps – he took 50 catches in the championship last summer – but for the gritty middle-order batting that saw him score in excess of 800 runs, including 95 against his current employers.

Watkinson claims Sutton is the fittest cricketer he has ever seen, and one suspects he rather relishes the heavy workload.

“I think being a wicketkeeper and a batsman is the most physically demanding job in the game,” Sutton said.

Sutton is fit enough to cope with his demanding workload © Getty Images

“They say the wicket-keeper in the drummer in the band. You have to be on top form when others are waning a little bit.

“You have to motivate people and get people going, and if you're tired that's not good, so for me I've always taken fitness very, very seriously.

“And I think that part of the fitness training helps you get mentally tougher and get tougher for the cricket challenges ahead of you. It's a big part of my game.”

It seems everything – whether it be relocating from Derby, settling into the dressing room or a pre-season tour that yielded six wins from six games – has panned out little short of perfectly for Sutton since his arrival, which was aided by the presence of former Derbyshire team-mate Dominic Cork.

“Corky's a good friend of mine and I've know Mark Chilton for a long time – we went to university together at Durham – so that makes it so much easier.

“But they are all top lads, really good lads. They've been great.

“They're in a dressing room full of really good players, but they don't let anyone get too above their station. It's such a good environment that it makes it very easy to settle in.

“Derby to Manchester is not a million miles, but I made the decision to move up in November and give myself enough time to feel settled living in Manchester and around the cricket club, and knowing the set-up.

“I moved up in November, so I've been here a number of months now and today doesn't feel like my first day at school.”

Possibly with the exception of a cold dinner and late arrival for afternoon lessons.