Oxfordshire Cricket has the responsibility for delivering an National Counties Emerging Players Programme (EPP) in accordance with the requirements of the County Partnership Agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) began funding Boys National County Emerging Players Programmes in October 2020 with Oxfordshire awarded a programme the same year. The Boys EPP was formerly known as the Oxfordshire and Sussex Cricket Academy when the partnership between Oxfordshire and Sussex Partnership began in 2013 and remains connected to Sussex CCC as part of the partnership between the two counties.

The aim of the Boys EPP in Oxfordshire is to produce Academy and Professional players by delivering an individualised programme of development to identified players aged between 13 and 18. Through the EPP we provide identified players of high-potential with the crucial early development opportunities and a clear route into academy and professional cricket programmes with Sussex Cricket.  The partnership between Oxfordshire Cricket and Sussex County Cricket Club provides the first class county (Sussex) with the first option to register an Oxfordshire EPP player onto their Academy with the long-term aspiration that the player will go on to represent Sussex CCC within the professional game. Should the transition route not occur via the partnership between Oxfordshire Cricket and Sussex Cricket, then Oxfordshire Cricket supports Emerging Players with alternative routes into other First Class County Academies or professional cricket programmes.

The EPP creates longitudinal opportunities for development to establish the foundations of future performance by delivering a periodised programme that comprises specialist-skill coaching, conditioning, fielding practice, physiotherapy support and educational workshops. The significant majority of these development opportunities take place locally at Magdalen College School within Oxfordshire, whose comprehensive facilities, including the Sports Hall, Gym, Studio and Classrooms enhance the quality of the talent development environments that we can deliver. The Sussex Academy Director and specialist coaches travel to Oxfordshire to attend the EPP to reduce travel requirements to Hove. Players selected onto the EPP do attend activity at Hove when there are opportunities for intensive exposure within training camps, typically occurring during School holiday or post exam periods. Oxfordshire EPP players also represent Sussex within ECB competition and friendly matches as part of the ECB dual registration process.

We target the recruitment of players with the greatest potential to transition into the academy or professional cricket programmes with Sussex Cricket (or other) and players who we believe have the greatest likelihood for long-term success. The aim is to identify and select high-potential players each year in order to focus EPP delivery and time investment in those selected. The final EPP selection decisions are made by multiple individuals, including the Performance Director (Boys EPP Lead with the responsibility and accountability of the programme) and the EPP Coach. The selection decisions are contributed to by the Pathway Manager (Oxfordshire Cricket), the Director of Pathways and Cricket Partnerships (Sussex Cricket)  and the EPP coaches and support staff within Oxfordshire. EPP Selection decisions are concluded by 31st October each year in preparation for the subsequent EPP year between 1st November and 31st October. 

Please contact Performance Director, Matthew Barnes on [email protected] for further information on the Boys EPP.