On Monday, 27th January, Oxfordshire Cricket welcomed clubs, schools, volunteers, local authorities, councillors, partners, businesses, and associations to the annual Cricket Development Evening at St Edward’s School in Oxford.
The event, which is held every year, serves to support the growth and development of cricket across the county. It provides a valuable opportunity for networking and collaboration with members of the Oxfordshire Cricket workforce, the ECB, and various partners. Local authority officers and executives responsible for sports and playing pitch strategies also attended, with the aim of fostering stronger relationships with local clubs.
A range of partners and suppliers were present at the event, including Leonardo Royal Hotel, Notts Sports, gcp Chartered Architects, Serious Cricket, the Officials Association, Flicx Pitches, Delivita Clubhouse project, and others.
This year’s event saw over 130 attendees, and featured a keynote address by Alexander Betts, Local and Global Engagement Officer at Oxford University, who spoke about the importance of sport, community, and partnerships.
Following the keynote, attendees participated in a series of panel discussions and a Q&A session focused on “Inspiring a New Generation of Leaders and Volunteers.” The theme being of particular importance with the need for more volunteers within the sport.
The evening also included workshops on a variety of topics related to cricket development in Oxfordshire.
Panel and Q&A Focus: Inspiring a New Generation of Volunteers and Leaders
Panel 1: The Background and Importance of Inspiring a New Generation
Panel 2: Real-life Examples of Young Leadership in Schools and Communities
Panel 3: Experiences from Parents and Participants
The panel discussions featured a diverse range of experts, including Julian Laird (Sussex & Oxfordshire), Lottie Oxton (Oxfordshire), Alexander Betts (Oxford University), Jonathan Platt (gcp Chartered Architects), Grant Thomas (The Oxford Academy), Alaistair Chirnside (St Edward’s School), John Sparks (Radley College), Peter Bennett (Radley College), and participants from the Future Leaders Academy.
Attendees also had the opportunity to select two out of five workshops, which covered various aspects of cricket development:
- Planning Applications and the Planning Process in Sport – Bob Sharples and Vicky Aston (Sport England): An overview of planning strategies for sports facilities, with a focus on engaging local authorities.
- Fine Turf, Facilities in Inspiring Generations 2.0, and Working with Local Authorities – Dr. Iain James (ECB): A deep dive into fine turf management, grants, the new strategic cycle, and working effectively with local authorities.
- Play-Cricket Overview – Chris Seal (ECB): Guidance on getting players and clubs set up on the Play-Cricket platform, managing team data, and maximizing its features.
- A Pragmatic Approach to the Design and Development of Cricket Clubs – Jonathan Platt, Matt Bonney, and Owen Faunt (gcp): Helping both large and small facilities maximise their potential.
Nick Pinhol, Operations Director at Oxfordshire Cricket, shared his thoughts on the event:
“The Cricket Development Evening is a fantastic opportunity for the cricket community to come together and support the development of the sport across the county. It was great to welcome over 130 people from a range of backgrounds, including clubs, schools, volunteers, local authorities, councillors, and partners.”
“We were fortunate to hear Alexander Betts’ inspiring keynote address, as well as engage in thought-provoking panel discussions. I’d like to extend my thanks to all the workshop facilitators for their valuable contributions, as well as to everyone who attended and our partners, stakeholders, and suppliers for their continued support.”
“A special thank you also goes to St Edward’s School for hosting the Cricket Development Evening and for their ongoing commitment to the development of cricket in Oxfordshire.”