Oxfordshire Cricket remains committed to ensuring that adult players’ continue to strive for representative selection and are pleased to announce that they will host open sessions for the Women and Men’s teams for the third consecutive year between January and March 2025. The open sessions are being hosted for eligible adult players (eighteen years of age or above who are not within a pathway programme) and will provide an accessible opportunity for individuals to demonstrate their capability to represent Oxfordshire at National Counties level.

The open sessions will allow players to demonstrate that they have the skill required to play representative cricket at National County level and help us to capture talent that may have emerged at a later developmental stage. Oxfordshire Cricket are now welcoming applications from adult players (18 years of age or above) who would like to attend the open sessions for the Women and Men’s team. Suitable applicants must meet all of the talent identification criteria below;

• England qualified currently playing at either Premier League, Feeder League or Division 1 League level
• Has produced notable or significant performances within cricket at the level specified above over the past two seasons (2023 and 2024).
• Believe that they have the skills required or potential to play representative cricket within either the Women’s or Men’s team at National Counties level.

England Qualified Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to play National County Cricket for Oxfordshire a player MUST be Qualified to play for England by;

• Holding British Citizenship (most commonly demonstrated through having a British Passport) 

And

• Completed their residency qualification period been having resident in England and Wales for the immediately preceding three years (min 210 days per year from 1st April to 31st March)

Please note that A Player WILL NOT be eligible to play National County Cricket for Oxfordshire if they have during the immediately preceding three consecutive years either (i) played cricket any ICC Full Member County except England at under 17 level or above; or (ii) played domestic First Class Cricket (or Competitive Women’s Cricket, as defined by the ECB) in any Full Member Country outside of England and Wales, as a “local” player.

“Home-Grown” Eligibility

Please note that to qualify as a home-grown player for Oxfordshire, a player must meet one of the following playing qualifications criteria;

• County Age Group within the Oxfordshire Pathway
• Playing Club within Oxfordshire
• Born within Oxfordshire
• Educated at a School after the age of 13 or currently attending a University within Oxfordshire ***Once a player has left University their home-grown status is removed for the next calendar year. 

Any player who does not meet the criteria above is classed as “Non-qualifying” and it may still apply.

How to Apply

Oxfordshire Cricket are now welcoming applications from eligible adult players who believe they have the skills required to play representative cricket within either the Women’s or Men’s team at National Counties level.

Adult players (18 years of age or above) who would like to apply to attend the upcoming open sessions for either the Women or Men’s team should complete the application form HERE by close of play on Monday 13th January 2025. Suitable applicants will be invited to attend the open sessions and successful applicants will be contacted directly with further information and joining instructions ahead of the open sessions which will take place independently for the Women and Men’s team during January and March 2025.

Please contact Performance Director, Matthew Barnes on [email protected] should you have any questions on the open sessions or application process.