Museum of Welsh Cricket Podcast · Museum of Welsh Cricket

Player, Captain and Coach: An Interview with Brad Wadlan

January 16, 2025·53 min·5 clips

Brad Wadland recalls walking out to bowl against Somerset stars, realizing he belonged on the same field.

This episode features an interview with Brad Wadland, a left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner from Bridgend who has built a distinguished career in club and minor counties cricket. Hosted by the Museum of Welsh Cricket Podcast, the conversation explores Brad's journey as a player, captain, and coach across multiple countries. Brad reflects on his late start in cricket at age 13 or 14 after initially playing rugby and football for Bridgend schools. He credits his early development to coach Charlie Griffiths at Bridgend Cricket Club and later to Kevin Lyons at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Brad describes playing alongside future professionals like Tom Maynard and James Harris in the Glamorgan Academy, learning by observing their approach to building big innings. His playing career included five consecutive winters of grade cricket in Melbourne and a first-class stint with the MidWest Rhinos in Zimbabwe, where he shared a dressing room with internationals like Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis. A memorable moment was receiving a surprise opportunity to play for the Unicorns against Somerset, where he took the wickets of Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego. Brad explains how a conversation with former England batsman Graham Flower led to his contract in Zimbabwe six months later. He discusses his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes clear communication, structure, and making players feel backed, developed during successful captain-coach roles in Australia. At Swansea Cricket Club, Brad helped engineer a promotion and multiple trophy wins, including a league title and Welsh Cup. He scored an unbeaten 210 against Malpas, which he considers among his best innings. Brad highlights the importance of club-wide development, noting Swansea's success across senior and junior teams during his tenure. He also shares his views on the recreational game in Wales, advocating for the inclusion of overseas players to raise standards. The interview reveals Brad's belief that his batting average significantly improved after age 23 due to accumulated experience and a better understanding of his game. He identifies young batter Callum Nicholls as a potential breakthrough player for his ability to consistently score centuries. The tone is reflective and conversational, structured around Brad's personal anecdotes and insights from his unique career path. Listeners interested in the pathways of recreational cricket, coaching development, or Welsh cricket history will find this episode engaging. Those seeking analysis of current professional teams or international cricket may find the focus too niche.

As heard by us

A grounded cricket career shaped by coaching, club cricket, and Welsh pathways.

Brad Wadlan's path is told with quiet confidence. Born in Bridgend, he built a career across club cricket in Wales and England, grade cricket in Australia, first-class cricket in Zimbabwe, and minor counties cricket with Wales Minor Counties and Herefordshire.

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Want a steady cricket career story told at Brad Wadlan's pace?

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