Players from Crawley welcomed to BACA for a morning of games and activities

The Brighton Aldridge Cricket Academy widened its cricketing reach this week when 14 young players from Crawley were welcomed for a morning of games and activities.

The cricketers, who all play for Ifield CC, were given the opportunity to spend Tuesday morning at BACA, touring the school with Principal Bob Speight and taking part in some fun games and activities led by Director of Cricket, Alexia Walker.

In partnership with Sussex Cricket, BACA has already done some fantastic work in the local area around Falmer and Brighton & Hove, but with massive participation numbers across Mid Sussex and into Crawley, the potential to further broaden the reach of what BACA can provide is hugely important to the longer term vision for all involved.

Director of Cricket Alexia Walker said: "We really enjoyed welcoming young cricketers and their families from Crawley to see our facilities and learn about the unique BACA Junior Cricket Pathway. 

“At BACA, we are passionate about giving opportunities to any aspiring cricketer to combine their education with an exciting cricket offer in conjunction with Sussex Cricket.

“We want to forge strong links with cricketing communities from around the whole county as well as our local schools in Brighton and Hove.”

North & Mid Sussex Territory Manager Matt Parsons added: "To provide young players from the Mid Sussex and North Area the opportunity to experience facilities which are effectively independent school quality, in a state school setting, was an opportunity not to be missed.

“From the outside, cricket across Crawley is thriving, with the number of clubs, individual teams and the sheer volume of players playing the game only increasing.

“We have two brand new clubs set up for 2021 in Crawley and an additional three more teams within existing clubs - not to mention three new Women and Girls set ups being launched in the New Year. This shows the passion and love for the game across Crawley.

“Unfortunately, the facilities in that area don't match the same level of ambition. As a result, I fear this massive increase in participation will be short-lived unless opportunities such as those provided by BACA can be extended into the Crawley area and beyond.

“The feedback and reaction of all those who took the opportunity to spend the morning at BACA over half-term was the perfect example of how BACA can continue to lead the way for state school provision across Sussex.”