From Cardiff Met to Glamorgan: Will Daft Making His Mark in Cricket Performance Analysis

Cardiff Metropolitan University BSc (Hons) Sport Performance Analysis student Will Daft has been gaining valuable experience in professional cricket, working with Glamorgan Cricket while continuing to develop performance analysis provision for Cardiff Met's men's and women's teams.

Having completed his second-year placement as an Assistant Analyst with Cardiff Met Cricket, Will has taken his skills into the professional game, contributing to match analysis across Glamorgan's pathway and senior teams.

During his university placement, Will worked primarily with Cardiff Met's women's cricket team, supporting their journey to the national finals. His role involved collecting and analysing match footage and performance data to support coaches with technical development, tactical preparation and player selection.

Throughout the winter and pre-season, his work helped inform preparations for the university's outdoor cricket season, which runs between April and June.

Gaining Experience at Glamorgan Cricket

Will's development continued with opportunities at Glamorgan Cricket, where he worked across a range of age groups and competition levels, from under-13 cricket through to the men's and women's first teams.

His responsibilities included coding matches, producing video clips and compiling statistical information for coaches and players during games, giving him practical experience of how performance analysis supports decision-making within a professional cricket environment.

One of the highlights of his time at Glamorgan was contributing to pre-match analysis packages for the men's first team during the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Using NV Play, a cricket scoring and analysis platform, Will examined footage and data from previous matches involving upcoming opponents, helping to prepare information for the team's matchday preparations.

Will expressed his appreciation for the opportunity, saying: "I am extremely thankful to Glamorgan, George Isaacs and Jonny Groves for the opportunities that I was provided with during the season."

Bringing Professional Experience Back to Cardiff Met

Alongside his experience at Glamorgan, Will is continuing to play an important role in the development of performance analysis at Cardiff Met Cricket.

Working with Josef, the pair are now acting as Lead Analysts across the university's men's and women's cricket programmes, helping to improve the information available to players and coaching staff.

An exciting development is Cardiff Met Cricket's new partnership with Fulltrack AI, which will support the club's approach to collecting, processing and presenting cricket performance data.

The technology is providing opportunities for Will, Josef Dilks and the club's new second-year Assistant Analysts to develop more detailed analysis of individual players, supporting training, technical development and selection decisions.

The team is currently preparing for the indoor cricket season before turning its attention to the outdoor campaign beginning in April.

Developing Skills Beyond the Classroom

Will's experience highlights how Cardiff Met's BSc (Hons) Sport Performance Analysis degree provides a foundation for students to apply their academic knowledge in real sporting environments.

From supporting Cardiff Met's women's team on their journey to the national finals to contributing to match preparations at Glamorgan, his work demonstrates the role performance analysis plays in modern cricket.

With new technology, professional experience and opportunities to support the development of fellow analysts, Will is continuing to build his skills while helping Cardiff Met Cricket strengthen its performance analysis provision.