FOUNDATION NEWS

Sussex Cricket Foundation is excited to announce our new partnership with Flicx UK! Together, we aim to help local clubs and schools make the most of their existing cricket facilities and create new opportunities to play. We're thrilled to work alongside Flicx to support the growth of cricket in our community.

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Thank you for supporting our raffle raising funds for women and girls cricket across Sussex.

The winning numbers were:

1st - 019

2nd - 127

3rd - 652

If you have a winning ticket please send a photograph to foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk to claim your prize.

Crawley warm hubs to open up to residents who cannot afford to heat their homes

Six ‘warm hubs’ are to be opened by Crawley Borough Council to give residents who can’t afford to heat their homes a warm place to go.

The County Disability Cricket Awards were held on Monday 12th September at The 1st Central County Ground after a two-year absence due to Covid-19.

The event was the first time all three squads - Sussex Visually Impaired (VI) Sharks, Sussex D40 and the Super 9s Development squad - had come together to celebrate their achievements.

The evening was attended by 70 guests including players, family members, coaches, sponsors, Webtrends Optimize, and Rob Andrew (Chief Executive, Sussex Cricket), Gary Wallis-Tayler (Community Cricket Director) and Jon Filby (Chair, Sussex Cricket).

The evening kicked off with a review of the highlights from the 2022 season presented by Disability Cricket Manager, Aroop Tanna. These included:

• Webtrends Optimize signing a two-year agreement as lead sponsor for the D40 & VI Sharks squads
• All 3 squads training in the Aerotron Indoor School​ during the winter for the first time
• 7 players transitioning from Super 1s community disability clubs to play for representative cricket for the Super 9s
• Sussex becoming the first County Cricket Board to host a D40 National League fixture at a first-class venue​
• Sussex VI Sharks becoming Blind Cricket England & Wales (BCEW) League 1 champions
• Two Sussex representatives invited to play in the ECB’s Disability Premier League​ 

This was followed by the presentation of individual awards. The full list of award winners are:

• D40 Club Award 2021 – Meg Loveland, presented by Jon Filby, Chair Sussex Cricket
• D40 Most Improved Player 2021 – Dan Gee, presented by Jon Filby
• D40 Player of the Year 2021 – Alfie Pyle, presented by Jon Filby
• D40 Club Award 2022 – Ethan Turner, presented by Rob Andrew, CEO Sussex Cricket
• D40 Most Improved Player 2022 – Josh Dixon, presented by Rob Andrew
• D40 Player of the Year 2022 – Dan Gee, presented by Rob Andrew
• Super 9s Club Award 2022 – George Adams
• Super 9s Most Improved Player 2022 – Harry Phelps, presented by Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director Sussex Cricket
• Super 9s Player of the Year 2022 – Leif Collimore, presented by Gary Wallis-Tayler
• Sussex VI Sharks Club Award 2022 – Ian Morris, presented by Rob Andrew
• Sussex VI Sharks Most Improved Player 2022 – Callum Weir, presented by Ben Charlesworth, Webtrends Optimize eCommerce Director
• Sussex VI Sharks B1 (Totally Blind) Player of the Year 2022 – Dave Daniels, presented by Ben Charlesworth
• Sussex VI Sharks Partially-Sighted Player of the Year 2022 – Alex Towers – unable to attend

The awards concluded with a couple of special awards. A gift was presented to Richard Wolff, for his selfless contribution as Volunteer Manager for the D40 and Super 9s squads.

The guests also got to see the premiere of short film capturing Sussex making history in becoming the first county to host a D40 League fixture at a first-class venue.

The film also captured the magnificent century from Alfie Pyle, the first Sussex D40 player to reach this milestone in the club’s history.

Matt Smith, Webtrends Optimize CEO then presented Alfie with the match ball and a signed shirt commemorating his 162 runs against Surrey.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director, commented on the celebration: “This event was extremely important to everyone connected to Sussex Cricket. To be able to celebrate another successful year with all three of our County Disability Teams, was a special moment.

“I would like to congratulate all our award winners along with our team, volunteers & sponsors, Webtrends Optimize, who make Disability Cricket the success it is in Sussex.”

To find out more about Disability Cricket in Sussex please visit our website or contact our Disability Cricket Manager, Aroop Tanna on aroop.tanna@sussexcricket.co.uk

Over 600 volunteers from across Sussex attended The 1st Central County Ground on Sunday to watch Sussex Sharks in Royal London Cup action against Surrey, as part of the Sussex Cricket Foundation Volunteers Reward Day.

The Sussex Cricket Foundation offered out up to 10 tickets to affiliated clubs, including a ‘Pie & Pint’ voucher as a small reward for those that give so much to cricket in Sussex, with around 50 clubs taking up the offer.

Alongside these volunteers chosen by their clubs, 80 nominees for the Grassroots Cricket Awards & ECB Coach Awards were also invited with guests and the awards were presented during the interval on the hallowed turf of The 1st Central County Ground.

After watching the Sharks smash an impressive 378 for six, the crowd watched on as the winners were announced, including Andy Barnes of Chichester Priory Park CC, who took home the Lifetime Achievement Award for sixty years of service to his club.

Martin Blincow, from Rye CC won the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching for his efforts over many years in building up his club’s junior section and transitioning them into senior cricket, with over half of their players in three teams on Saturday being ex-colts.

Kate Smit-Gereats from Eastergate CC collected the ‘Growing the Game’ gong for being instrumental in doubling their junior numbers this season.

Carl Tupper, one of the three Territory Managers for Sussex Cricket Foundation said: “It’s always such a pleasure to hear of the stories and the legacies left by our amazing volunteers across Sussex.

“It was a fantastic atmosphere at the match, one of real celebration for each other’s achievements. We all know that without these individuals, that recreational cricket wouldn’t be in the fantastic position it is now and all of us at Sussex Cricket and the Foundation are eternally grateful.”

In addition to the Volunteers Day and the Grassroots Awards, as part of Sussex’s plan to reward volunteers across the County, around 50 clubs applied for the Volunteer Reward Fund, which gives clubs the chance to apply for £200 towards initiatives to reward their volunteers in their own way, which this year has seen around £8,500 reinvested back into recreational cricket.

The full list of Grassroots Award winners are:

Connecting Communities – Iain Anderson – Ansty CC

Cricket Innovators – Richard Drake – Sussex Junior Cricket Festival

Game Changer – Tyler Robertshaw – Lingfield CC

Grounds Management – Geoff Beale – Seaford CC

Growing the Game – Kate Smit-Gereats – Eastergate CC

Inspired to Play – Graeme Corbishley – Pevensey CC

Lifetime Achievement – Andy Barnes – Chichester Priory Park CC

Rising Star – Ethan Turner – Keymer & Hassocks CC

Unsung Hero – Keith Henson – Heathfield Park CC

ECB Coach of the Year Awards:

Coach of the Year – Alen Lang – Wisborough Green CC

Young Coach of the Year – Kieran Edwards – Midhurst CC

Outstanding Contribution to Coaching – Martin Blincow – Rye CC

The Sussex Cricket Foundation has teamed up with the Spen Cama Cricket Charitable Trust to provide funding for six new artificial cricket pitches at a variety of locations in Crawley, including at local cricket clubs, schools and council-run playing fields.

The first pitch has already been installed at Three Bridges Cricket Club and is being used weekly by the club’s junior and women’s teams.

The investment is an important milestone in the Foundation’s ambitious five-year Crawley Urban Cricket Plan.

Matt Parsons, Territory Manager at The Sussex Cricket Foundation, said: “The ongoing delivery of the Crawley Urban Plan continues to gather pace and it's brilliant to see the first wave of investment getting spent on the much need pitches for the town.

“Women & girls’ cricket in particular continues to be a crucial part of the plan and seeing increased participation as a direct result of the support from the Spen Cama Cricket Charitable Trust only helps us deliver on everything we've set out to achieve.

“Not only that, but the way in which we can dovetail the investment with the ongoing support from Active Sussex, ECB, the local clubs and other partners, shows just what can be done when everyone works together to grow and sustain the game."

By providing artificial cricket pitches for local clubs, schools, and community groups, it enables those groups to play even more cricket and reduces the need for specialist grounds-people to maintain the surfaces.

Nick Parker, Junior Cricket Coordinator for Three Bridges Cricket Club said: “It’s fantastic to be able to utilise the new Astro-turf pitch, it has been in place since June and is providing our Junior, Women’s and Girls’ teams with even more opportunities to play cricket.

“We are extremely grateful to the Sussex Cricket Foundation and the Cama Charitable Trust for providing the funds to install the pitch, it is already proving to be a success, and will enable us to continue to give local people the chance to play cricket, all year round.”

Chris Warne, Trustee of the Spen Cama Cricket Charitable Trust, added: "The Trustees of The Spen Cama Cricket Trust believe Spen would have been delighted that they have given financial help towards Phase 1 of the Crawley Urban Plan.

“We are certain this will assist the creation of new opportunities for a thriving, passionate and diverse cricket community."

During this week’s LV= Insurance County Championship game against Leicestershire, the Sussex Cricket Foundation ran their annual Schools Day supported by Chance to Shine at The 1st Central County Ground.

Over 1,500 children from primary and secondary schools across the County attended the game to watch live professional cricket, look around our ground, visit our Sussex Cricket Museum and had the opportunity to play on the outfield during the lunch interval.

Speaking at the event, Mike Lewis from Durrington Infant & Junior School said: “When we had the opportunity to come and visit Sussex Cricket, we jumped at it. The children that have come down today to experience it have been excited by the game and we hope that they want to continue to play more cricket in the future.”

The Foundation provides state primary & secondary schools with opportunities to access cricket in partnership with Chance to Shine through coaching, extra-curricular activities and competitions, to raise participation across Sussex.

During this academic year, the Foundation will have visited over 150 primary and secondary schools, with over 15,000 children aged between 5 & 16 having had the opportunity to access cricket in the process.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director at Sussex Cricket said: “Running days like these are extremely important to Sussex Cricket, as it provides children of all ages with the opportunity to watch live sport in a professional setting, many that attended would be visiting us for the very first time.

“We hope that we have managed to inspire a lot of children and hope they come back to visit us again in the future or go on to play cricket at school or a local club.”

If your school would be interested in receiving cricket delivery from the Foundation please visit our website or contact foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk

Sussex Cricket held its mass disability inclusion event – DIScoverABILITY Day - on Thursday 16th June. The annual community event was the centerpiece of three events showcasing Disability Cricket at The 1st Central County Ground.

• 580 people from 25 organisations attend the South East’s largest mass disability sport event at Hove
• 90 volunteers from local businesses, schools and community groups help to deliver a memorable day in glorious sunshine
• Sussex players join in the fun
• Albion in the Community, Brighton Table Tennis Club and Sussex Wheelchair Basketball join in the fun

The showcase commenced with the Sussex Sharks being welcomed by a team of flagbearers from the Super 1s disability section at Ansty CC for their home fixture against Gloucestershire.

DIScoverABILITY Day was followed by the first ever D40 County Disability league fixture to be played at a first-class venue when Sussex hosted Surrey at The 1st Central County Ground on Sunday 19th June, another historic, memorable moment to enable us to continue raising the profile of disability cricket in Sussex.

A crowd of over 300 people attended to witness history as Sussex beat Surrey by 118 runs which included a stunning knock of 162 from Sussex’s Alfie Pyle.

DIScoverABILITY Day has been blessed with good weather in previous years and this year proved no different. 580 participants from 25 different organisations including schools, colleges, day centres and community organisations arrived for an action-packed, fun-filled day at Hove.

The diverse range of activities were put together and run by an enthusiastic team of 13 Sussex Cricket coaches and 50 business and community volunteers.

The majority of volunteers came from a variety of Sussex businesses including 1st Central, Webtrends Optimize, Telefonica, Mishon Mackay, Oliver and Graimes and Yes Promo Products.

The event was also supported by 45 sports leaders from Brighton Girls School, Dorothy Stringer High School and Blatchington Mill High School.

The sports leaders escorted visiting groups around the different activity zones including old favourites like the Sussex Cricket Foundation 1st Central inflatables and Sid the Shark’s Big Hit Challenge.

Albion in the Community, Brighton Table Tennis Club and Sussex Bears Wheelchair Basketball ran adapted activities of their sports incorporating a cricket theme.

Visitors also had the option to just play matches covering three different formats of the game - Lord Taverner’s Table Cricket, Blind Cricket and Kwik Cricket. Sid the Shark was on hand again for numerous photo opportunities and proved as popular as ever.

Sussex Cricket Foundation Champion, Jamie Atkins brought a group of Sussex squad members including Tymal Mills, Steven Finn, Tom Alsop and Fynn Hudson-Prentice to join in the fun.

The outfield was bathed in glorious sunshine and smiling faces for the entire day, which generated some great comments from visitors and volunteers.

Emma Hughes, PE teacher from St Oscar Romero Catholic School (Goring), said: “Days like these are really important for our students, especially after the last two years. They can actually get back out and socialize with others and get their confidence back up to develop their social skills.” 

Ross Joannides, Strategic Relationship Manager at Active Sussex said of his volunteering experience: “Thanks so much for the opportunity to come and be part of the day. Well done to your whole team for putting on such a fantastic event!

“All I saw was happy faces and people enjoying themselves. Already looking forward to supporting next year's event.”

Reflecting on the day, Rob Andrew, Chief Executive at Sussex Cricket said: “It was fantastic to welcome so many organisations and participants we work with back to Hove. Raising the profile of Disability Cricket is a key component of our strategy and hopefully the different activities we have put on at Hove over the last week demonstrates our level of commitment.”

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director at Sussex Cricket added: “DIScoverABILITY Day is always a special day and enables us to continue raising the profile of disability cricket in Sussex and celebrating the wonderful work the team do. By providing opportunities for people to access the game and our ground, we hope it will inspire more people to play in the future and create lifelong memories in the process.”

On the 18th of June, I will be running from Matthews grave at Chiddingly cricket club to the 1st Central County Ground, Hove, to arrive in time for the start of the Sussex Vs Somerset Vitality blast T20 game.  

My name is Teddy Birkbeck, I am 12 years old and I am running 20 miles to raise money for the Matthew Hobden Trust.

At the start of 2016, my cousin, Matthew Hobden sadly passed away in a tragic accident. He had a love for cricket and played for the Sussex County cricket team and was selected for the Potential England Performance Programme.

As a Somerset academy player myself, I think this is a good opportunity to take on this challenge, raising money for a charity very close to my heart. 
The Matthew Hobden Trust raises money for aspiring young cricketers, like me, who have a talent and love for the sport, often providing kit and opportunities to help them fulfill their ambitions. 

To make a donation please visit Teddy's JustGiving page - CLICK HERE

Dear Club Cricket Heroes,

The SCF are proud to announce the inaugural (and hopefully last!) Covid Hero Awards, in partnership with 1st Central.

In such a strange year and truncated season, we know that out there in Sussex, there are hundreds, if not thousands of volunteers who have continued working behind the scenes to ensure that their club was in a position to play cricket as soon as we got the go ahead.

We want to celebrate those invaluable volunteers.

Below is a nomination form with a host of different categories and their criteria. The SCF team will shortlist the nominations down to four in each category and it will be down to the clubs & people in Sussex to vote for the winners, via twitter.

We ask for nominations to be returned to Emma.Brooke@sussexcricket.co.uk no later than Friday 6th November. Shortlists will be announced at the end of November & voting will take place throughout December.

Please pass this note around to your committee & club members, as it may well be YOU that is the Covid Hero at your club!

We look forward to receiving your nominations and reading about all the incredible volunteers we have in our game.

Sussex Cricket Foundation and K2 Crawley recently hosted an extra special cricket tournament in a bid to promote sports amongst the older generation.

The centre, ran by Everyone Active in partnership with Crawley Borough Council, saw over 25 people across local walking cricket projects take part in the event on Tuesday 29 October.

Director of Sussex Cricket, Keith Greenfield, 1st team assistant coach, Jason Swift, and the Crawley Mayor all headed up teams at the event. Also helping on the day were Community Coaches, Bernie Thys and Lara Johnson and Cricket Development Officer, Alex King.

Walking cricket is a slower paced, indoor format of the game, aimed at the older generation. K2 currently has a small team of walking cricket members, but are hoping to raise the profile of the sport and encourage others to join.

Stuart Mills, Area Contract Manager at Everyone Active, commented: “This event was a fantastic way of helping others learn more about the sport with a bit of friendly competition thrown in too.

“It’s a great way for the older generation to get active and we were delighted to welcome members of Sussex Cricket to our leisure centre.”

Matt Parsons, North Area Territory Manager at Sussex Cricket Foundation, added: “Sussex Cricket is committed to providing opportunities and activities for players of all ages. Our Walking Cricket project is a fantastic example of this and provides a great chance for us to open up the game to those in Crawley and beyond.

“Crawley is such a culturally diverse town and we want to ensure that we are at the forefront of offering as many different people the opportunity to continue enjoying the game, even as they get into later life.” 

Councillor Chris Mullins added: “This is a great opportunity to make our older residents and visitors feel part of a team and have some fun.

“Not only will this ensure the players enjoy themselves, it will also improve their health and social life. I hope these walking sports motivate people to get active again without fears of not being fit or fast enough.”

To read more about Walking Cricket and to find a session near you please visit - https://sussexcricket.co.uk/walking-cricket

This past Sunday, The Blackstone Academy Ground sponsored by Hurstpierpoint College played host to Finals Day of the Sussex Cricket Foundation Six-a-Side Cup, sponsored by Wilson Sandford.

The re-arranged 2018 final saw Henfield CC, West Chiltington & Thakeham CC, Isfield CC & Crawley Eagles CC hoping to take the title seven months after rain had washed out the original fixture.  

Isfield beat West Chiltington in the first semi-final with the two-year reigning champions falling just four runs short of the total, resulting in a guaranteed new champion.

Crawley Eagles completed an emphatic victory over Henfield by 25 runs to advance to the final.

In the third place playoff, West Chiltington wrapped up victory over Henfield with one ball to spare, an audacious scooped six from Charlie Davies onto the roof of the Blackstone pavilion providing the winning runs.

A nail biting final, saw Crawley Eagles batting first and in strife early on, with ‘Jock’ taking a triple wicket maiden in the third over, leaving Eagles reeling on 17 for 3.

Eagles managed to recover in the following two overs, gathering a respectable 47. In the chase, an expensive first over, going for 17 runs, put Isfield out in front and from that point, the runs ticked along. With three balls to spare, the Isfield batsmen stole a quick single to complete the victory.

Robin Wilson, of competition sponsors Wilson Sandford presented the Sussex Cricket Foundation Six-a-Side Cup to Isfield CC, who will look to successfully defend their title in the 2019 competition.

If your club would like to enter the 2019 competition and have a chance of playing in the finals day at The 1st Central County Ground on Sunday 15th September, contact your Territory Manager or book here.

2019 Six-a-Side Hubs are:

Henfield CC – Sunday 26th May

Slinfold CC – Sunday 9th June

Pagham CC – Sunday 30th June

Newick CC – Sunday 14th July

Sussex batsman, Phil Salt, paid a visit to Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Rottingdean, Brighton on Thursday to help launch the county’s 2019 All Stars Cricket programme.

Phil was joined by the All Stars mascot, Twinkle to introduce boys and girls from reception, year one and year two classes to the basics of cricket and tell them about this summer’s programme.

With the 1st Central Sussex Cricket Foundation Roadshow set up in the playground, the children were able to pick up a bat and ball – many for the first time - and try their hand at the kind of activities on offer at All Stars Cricket sessions.

All Stars Cricket is the England & Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) national entry-level participation programme aimed at providing girls and boys aged five to eight with a great first experience of the sport.

Last year, in Sussex alone, over 1,500 children took part in All Stars Cricket at 53 clubs across the county. Sixty-two clubs have signed up to host the programme in 2019, with more than 2,000 participants expected.

The visit to Our Lady of Lourdes is one of a number being delivered by Sussex Cricket Foundation at primary schools and community centres in March and April. Over 12,000 children will be given a flavour of All Stars Cricket and encouraged to sign up to their local centre ahead of the start of this year’s programme in May.

Every child that registers will have a backpack containing an All Stars Cricket bat, ball, personalised t-shirt, cap and activity book sent to their door, so they have everything they need for their first session.

Anybody that is registered before the end of March will be in with the chance of becoming a ‘trophy mascot’ at this summer’s men’s ICC Cricket World Cup that is being held in England and Wales.

For details of your nearest centre and to register a child for All Stars Cricket, visit www.allstarscricket.co.uk.

Reflecting on his visit, Phil said: “This is a great initiative. Things are kept very simple with the kids allowed to just pick up a bat and ball and enjoy themselves.

“They’re buzzing and enjoyment is what it’s all about. It’s not about everyone having a perfect forward defensive, it’s about getting kids into cricket and making sure they have loads of fun doing it.

“It’s great to come and see the Sussex Cricket Foundation’s work at a visit like today, it puts things into perspective and reminds you why you love the game and why it's so important to give as many kids as possible the chance to discover their own passion for cricket.”

Discussing the All Stars Cricket programme as a whole, Sussex Cricket Foundation’s All Stars Cricket lead, Ollie Smith said: “All Stars Cricket is a fantastic programme and has been a real success in Sussex. Its impact on participation at clubs can be seen even after just two years.

“However, we are looking to build on this early success and make 2019 our biggest and best year yet! We want the programme to inspire as many children and new families to get involved with cricket as it can.”

Sussex's Jofra Archer and Danny Briggs used a break in their busy winter schedules to take part in Sussex Cricket Foundation’s (SCF) Chance to Shine Street Cricket project last week.

During a brief trip home between the Big Bash League in Australia and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Jofra met up with Danny - who himself has recently returned from his second England Lions tour of the winter – and dropped into the regular Tuesday afternoon session at Southwick Leisure Centre on the outskirts of Brighton. 

The pair joined 17 local boys and girls for a game of the fast-paced version of cricket that is played outside of traditional club settings with a tapeball – a tennis-ball wrapped in electrical tape – and is designed to break down barriers like cost, equipment and accessibility that can be associated with sport.

Captains for the day, 12-year-old Rhys and 13-year-old Taylor picked the teams, with the two newest participants at the session ending up on opposite sides.

Watch the video below to see who came out on top: Team Rhys featuring global T20 superstar, Jofra Archer or Team Taylor, featuring England spinner, Danny Briggs.

Speaking after his first taste of Chance to Shine Street Cricket,  something that came just days before his much talked-about qualification for England, Jofra said: “Speaking to the coaches, I found out that a lot of the kids here are not in clubs, which I found hard to believe because there’s so much talent.

“I guess some kids might not have the means to go to training or to afford cricket kit. Street Cricket means they don’t have to worry about that, they can just come and play.

“It’s really important to provide these opportunities for the kids because we just don’t know who can be the next England captain or the next death-bowler in one-day or T20 cricket and we won’t find out without projects like this.”

Danny, who has played eight limited-overs internationals for the full England side, added: “It’s so encouraging to see the numbers coming down here and participating in cricket. It’s great for the kids to be able to just come and play. It’s relaxed, you face balls, you bowl balls, you get to field.

“When I was young, there wasn’t anything like this and it was much harder to get involved if you weren’t from a cricketing family or if you didn’t live near a club. Street Cricket means these kids can give the game a go.

“Being here and seeing how much fun everyone is having makes you realise how lucky we are to play a game you love professionally. Hopefully, me and Jof have added something for the kids today.”

There are currently 165 Chance to Shine Street programmes taking place across the country. Chance to Shine is a national charity that aims to help children and young people play, learn and develop through cricket.

SCF is running seven of these programmes for 8-14 year olds in Sussex. The venues for these are Willingdon Trees Community Centre in Crawley, The Y Centre in Hastings, Southfields Jubilee Centre in Littlehampton, Southwick Leisure Centre, The Crew Club and Manor Gym, both in Whitehawk.

Sessions are completely free; no equipment is required and participants can just drop-in. To find out timings for each session or for more information on SCF’s Chance to Shine Street Cricket project, click HERE.

Sussex’s Will Beer took a break from his pre-season preparations to visit to his old primary school and help Sussex Cricket Foundation (SCF) with their Chance to Shine programme.

Will met more than 200 pupils from Holbrook Primary School, near Horsham and lent a hand to the SCF coaches as they taught children from years one, two and three all about cricket.

After an assembly where the school was shown footage of Will and his teammates in action for Sussex, each year group was given the chance to practice a series of cricket skills.

Visits like this are part of a programme run by SCF in cooperation with national charity, Chance to Shine. Each year, SCF delivers the six-week programme in over 100 primary schools across Sussex.

The aim is to inspire the next generation of cricketers, raise awareness of the sport among the county’s boys and girls and teach them both academic and life skills.

A further ambition is to establish links between schools and their local cricket clubs to give children the opportunity to continue their cricketing journey in the ECB’s All Stars programme.

Horsham Cricket Club – where Will has played since he was a junior - were also part of the assembly during the visit to Holbrook.

Reflecting on his return to Holbrook, Will said: “I really enjoyed coming back to my old primary school and helping the Sussex Cricket Foundation team inspire the next generation of cricketers.

“The kids were really enthusiastic, and I hope our visit will have inspired some children to carry on playing and join up at Horsham.”

Emma Bishop, a teacher at Holbrook Primary School, added: “It was a great opportunity for the whole school to find out a bit more about the work of Sussex Cricket in the local community and especially great for some of our younger pupils to experiences some cricket skills in the hope that they would be enthused to pursue the sport outside of school”

Laura Cordingley, chief executive of Chance to Shine, was also present at the visit. She said: “It’s brilliant to see the inspiring impact that a visit from a professional cricketer can have on children.

“Will is a terrific role model for the pupils and I hope that they can learn from the hard work and dedication that he has put into his career.

“Chance to Shine is committed to providing opportunities for children to play and learn through cricket and the work being done by the Sussex Cricket Foundation is having a powerful impact on the children in the area.”

About Chance to Shine:

Chance to Shine is a national charity on a mission to spread the power of cricket throughout schools and communities. The charity takes cricket to new places and uses it to ignite new passions, teach vital skills, unite diverse groups, and educate young people from Cornwall to Cardiff to County Durham.

Since 2005, Chance to Shine has given over 4 million boys and girls in more than 15,000 state schools and community projects, the opportunity to play and learn through cricket. The Chance to Shine Street programme is engaging thousands of young people in inner-city areas affected by youth crime.

Go to www.chancetoshine.org for further information.

Sussex Cricket to host South's first Sporting Memories Club

Older sports fans from Brighton and Hove will have the chance to share their sporting memories with likeminded people at a new weekly club that starts at the home of Sussex Cricket next month. 

The sessions will take place between 10 and 11.30am at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove every Tuesday from 27th November with the aim of engaging older members of the local community in social activities through their love of sport.

The sessions – the first of their kind in the South of England - are organised by the Sussex Cricket Foundation, the charitable arm of Sussex Cricket that aims to actively change lives through the power of cricket, with help from local volunteers.

Volunteer training, mentoring and resources are being provided by The Sporting Memories Foundation, the national charity that tackles dementia, depression and loneliness through its unique blend of social activities, sporting reminiscence and games.

Sessions will utilise a wealth of archive photographic, video and audio material – provided by The Sporting Memories Foundation - to stimulate discussion and reminiscences amongst participants.

Participants that would like to will also have the opportunity to take part in low-intensity games and activities for all abilities.

Linda Bowen, the Sussex Cricket Foundation Development Officer in charge of the Sporting Memories project, said: “Keeping active and socialising is key to good physical and mental well-being. The aim of this group is to provide a fun, sociable and friendly group where sports fans or those that used to play are able to simply talk sport!

“Despite taking place at the county cricket ground, all sports will be covered, not just cricket.  There is just as likely to be a discussion about boxing, motor racing or football. The group is designed to be accessible to all, regardless of age, ability or fitness level and I would encourage people to get in touch to find out more, or to simply drop into one of the weekly groups”.

Chris Wilkins, Co-founder of The Sporting Memories Foundation added: “We are very excited about our partnership with Sussex Cricket and look forward to helping them establish a growing number of Sporting Memories Clubs across the county over the next three years”

The sessions are free, although a £1 donation to cover the cost of light refreshments would be welcomed. 

Anyone who would like to attend the sessions, who knows someone that would like to or who would like more information should contact Linda Bowen on 07947 521 836 or via linda.bowen@sussexcricket.co.uk

It is hoped that this first group in Hove will lead to a network of similar clubs across Sussex. If you are interested in volunteering to help set up another Sussex Cricket Sporting Memories Club in your area, please contact Linda Bowen.

The 1st Central County Ground was bathed in glorious sunshine for Sussex Cricket’s ninth annual disability inclusion day on Friday 11th May.

Twenty-eight different organisations including schools, colleges, day centres and community organisations brought more than 400 people from across Sussex to take part in the event.

Click HERE to read more...

Sussex Cricket welcomed more than 600 primary and secondary school pupils to The 1st Central County Ground over the course of two recent Sussex Sharks one-day matches.

Groups from 19 schools across the county attended the Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures against Kent Spitfires on Friday 17th May and Middlesex on Friday 25th May.

Click HERE to read more...

Women's Softball Cricket is alive and well in Sussex after a record-breaking summer saw more participants than ever playing the game. 

Across 18 festivals in the region, over 700 players joined in with the action at events, that involved music, colourful t-shirts, prosecco and, of course, cricket.  

Click HERE to read more...

As part of the recent Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week, the Sussex Cricket Foundation, in partnership with Chance to Shine, combined sun, sea, sand and stumps for the annual Beach Cricket Festival at West Wittering Beach.

Beautiful weather ensured an outstanding day for all involved, with Chance to Shine Primary Schools travelling from as far as Worthing to take part.

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The Sussex Cricket Foundation (SCF) is running three walking cricket projects in the east of the county.

The projects in Ore, Rye and Wishingtree provide allow people over the age of 55 to get or stay involved with cricket, keep active and socialise.

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Older sports fans from Brighton and Hove will have the chance to share their sporting memories with likeminded people at a new weekly club that starts at the home of Sussex Cricket next month. 

The sessions will take place between 10 and 11.30am at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove every Tuesday from 27th November with the aim of engaging older members of the local community in social activities through their love of sport.

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Students at Northease Manor School in Lewes will be representing Sussex at Lord’s this Thursday 21st June the Lord’s Taverners Table Cricket Finals.

A team from the school are heading to the home of cricket to battle it out against eleven other schools as they look to be crowned champions of the national competition organised by the Lord’s Taverners, the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity.

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