Troy Henry | Player Blog

“I’ve always believed this was my path.”

New rookie Sussex spinner Troy Henry says professional cricket is increasingly open to young players from all backgrounds.

After more than a decade of commitment and hard work, Troy Henry has finally landed his first professional contract.

The 20-year-old left-arm spinner, a former ACE Academy captain, has signed a rookie contract with Sussex Cricket after impressing at the club’s open trials in January 2025.

“For the most part, I’ve always believed professional cricket was my path,” he says.

“I was determined to make it. Of course, there were tough times. Moments when I was out of form and felt hesitant. But if you can push through those periods, it shows you have the mindset to succeed. That mindset is what has got me here.”

Henry isn’t the only ACE cricketer to reach the pro game this year, with 19-year-old Amy Wheeler also signing a rookie contract for The Blaze. And just like Wheeler, Henry didn’t take long to catch the eye.

He says: “It was an open trial (at Sussex). Chevy Green, the director of ACE, sent about 10 of us to apply. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to bat because I had a wrist injury. But after bowling a little while, Paul Farbrace came up to me and started chatting. We had a really good conversation. He invited me back to train with them again. And then things progressed from there.

“For me, it was about sticking to my skills and doing my best. When Paul came up to me, I thought: ‘This is a good sign.’ I thought I was bowling well, but obviously what you feel can be different to what coaches see.”

As a boy, Troy and his mum would spend their weekends watching his dad play cricket for St Albans West Indians in the Hertfordshire Cricket League. “Our life centred around the game,” he says. “If we weren’t watching Dad, we were watching cricket on TV.”

His own cricketing journey started aged four, eventually playing Minor Counties age group cricket for Hertfordshire from U15s to U18s while joining The ACE Academy in 2020.

“I’ve been at ACE since the start,” he says. “One day early on, Steve Stephenson told me about some trials at The Oval and suggested I go. I went along – I remember, we were outside on the square and had a grass net – and thankfully it went well and I got accepted. But then Covid-19 arrived.

“For about six months, we couldn’t train or do anything. But once we got back into it, I started playing again for ACE and I’ve been involved ever since.”

He adds: “The ACE programme has made a massive difference. Being around people from similar backgrounds has helped me relate to things more. The whole set-up is like a family to me. If I’m having any problems, there are so many people I can message for advice. It’s not just about playing cricket together: it’s about so much more than that.”

In September 2024, Henry signed his ACE contract live on Sky Sports during the England v Australia ODI fixture at Trent Bridge. That contract will fund his first year with Sussex, with Henry hoping to do enough in 2025 to earn an extended deal for the seasons ahead.

He says: “It’s tough to make it if you haven’t been in the County Age Group system. But as an outsider, you’ve just got to back yourself, show your skills, and see what happens. It’s encouraging to see playing coming from non-traditional backgrounds.

“It’s absolutely massive to see opportunities in cricket open to everyone. But it’s not just about opening opportunities. It’s about ensuring those opportunities lead somewhere. We’re definitely going to see more professional players from non-traditional backgrounds and that makes a big difference. If everyone came from the same background, the game would be a lot less interesting.”

Authored by Neil Barraclough on behalf of the ECB and Sussex Cricket

Image credit: Vincent Bell