Dear Members of the Oxfordshire Cricket Community,

We hope this message finds you well.

With the recent release of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) new strategy, we are embarking on a journey to create our own 4-year strategy to align with the broader vision for the game. It is also crucial that our strategy considers the unique needs and aspirations of our local cricket community—that means you. We value your insights and experiences, and we would love to hear from you.

We have created a short questionnaire and would be incredibly grateful if you could spare a few minutes to complete it. Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of cricket in Oxfordshire.

Please click the link below to access the survey:

Complete the Oxfordshire Cricket Survey

Deadline: Please submit your responses by 5:00 pm on Friday 15th November.

Thank you for your time and for being a valued part of our cricket family.

Warm regards,

Nick Pinhol

At Oxfordshire Cricket our purpose is to make cricket open for all. 

We are responsible for all ECB Participation and Growth activities and support to recreational cricket as well as the Representative Cricket and Performance Pathway Programmes for girls, boys, and women across Oxfordshire.

We are now seeking a Managing Director. Within this role you will have overarching responsibility for the management of all operations, resources, and strategic initiatives at OCB. You will work closely with the Board of Directors to deliver on our vision, leading the organisation’s P&L, marketing, HR, finance, fundraising, and legal matters. 

As a senior business leader, your key focus will be on diversifying and increasing OCB’s income streams to ensure financial sustainability and growth, which in turn will enable the organisation to strengthen its impact with grassroots, community, and performance initiatives. 

We are committed to building a team that is representative of the communities we serve and are keen to ensure that there is a diversity of thought, knowledge and professional and lived experience across our team. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from any suitable individuals who share our vision and have the capacity and expertise to help us deliver positive impact through cricket in Oxfordshire.

Whilst a passion for cricket would be beneficial, we are also keen to hear from people who have energy and enthusiasm for the impact of sport and charity activities in general to support us in delivering on our purpose. 

What we offer:

• Competitive salary in the range of £65,000 to £70,000, depending on experience, plus benefits including pension contributions and professional development opportunities.
• A critical leadership role in an organisation with a strong reputation and significant growth potential.
• The opportunity to be a key driver in the next chapter of Oxfordshire Cricket’s development
• Our location is the Tudor Jones Building, Akeman Street, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 1TH, although flexible working is also available.

For further information please access a copy of the candidate pack CLICK HERE

To apply, please submit your Safer Recruitment Application and a cover letter detailing your experience and suitability for the role.

Oxfordshire-Cricket-Safer-Recruitment-Application-Form

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. If you would like to be considered in our initial review, then please submit your application by November 25th.

Applications should be submitted to Chris Parkinson at [email protected]. 

If you would like a confidential discussion about the role then please contact Peter Tervet the Oxfordshire Chairman at [email protected] 

Inclusion 

We believe that excellence will be achieved through recognising the value of every individual. A broad range of perspectives, backgrounds and opinions amongst our colleagues is crucial in maintaining our culture of openness, intellectual curiosity, and creativity. We take an active role in supporting under-represented communities and groups in becoming better and more fairly represented in the leadership of all organisations. We also know that diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact on our ability to encourage participation amongst these groups.

Oxfordshire Cricket are delighted to announce that sixteen year old left hand batter and left arm finger spin bowler, Arthur Hanson has been awarded a place on Sussex County Cricket Club’s Academy for 2024/2025. Arthur represented the Oxfordshire Boys Under 16, Boys Under 18s and Men’s 2nd XI in the 2024 season, amassing 688 runs at an average of 52.92 and taking 15 wickets at an average of 17.07. The majority of Arthur’s runs were made whilst playing up for the Boys Under 18s, scoring 519 runs at an average of 64.88 which included three centuries and one fifty from ten innings. 

Arthur began his journey with Oxfordshire in the Boys Under 12s Age Group, later receiving focused time investment as a selected player on the Boys Emerging Players Programme from 2021 and benefiting from the developmental opportunities of the dual registration system in place between the Oxfordshire Cricket and Sussex County Cricket Club partnership. Arthur will join fellow Oxfordshire player, Julian Laird on the Sussex Cricket Academy with the pair evidencing the success of the Oxfordshire Cricket talent development system in developing high-potential players who can transition into Academy cricket programmes. Sussex Cricket Academy graduate Dylan Driscoll has embarked on a trip to Australia to further accelerate his cricket career having finished school this year. The partnership between Oxfordshire Cricket and Sussex County Cricket Club continues to thrive, with home-grown professional cricketers James Coles, Zach Lion-Cachet and Harrison Ward all signing contract extensions with the First Class County during the summer. 

On the news of joining the Sussex Cricket Academy, Arthur Hanson said:

“I was stoked to hear the news from Keith Greenfield that I had been selected for Sussex Academy for the 2024/25 season. The reality of it now is starting to sink in: yes, I couldn’t have asked for more good news as this was the main goal from the previous season, but now I know that the hard work continues: understanding that I still need to improve in all my efforts as a cricketer.

I would like to thank all my coaches in the  Oxon Pathway since I moved to Oxfordshire for my u12 season. Since then, the EPP programme has been superb: I have received loads of support to improve in all aspects of the game especially from Matt, Alan, Rupert and recently James. They have all been brilliant, and I look forward immensely to continuing my journey with them over the following year. They’ve not only helped me to perform, but also helped me to become a better person as well. 

All of this allowed me to express myself not only playing for Sussex last year and this but also for Oxfordshire U18’s in 2024, which were fantastic opportunities. I was pleased to make an impact with bat and ball which helped the team win games of cricket.

Now, looking ahead to next year, I can’t wait to start work with the Sussex Academy, especially Keith and Phil Hudson. A big thank you to them for giving me this opportunity.”

Keith Greenfield – Director of Pathways and Cricket Partnerships at Sussex Cricket said:

“We welcome Arthur into our Academy intake for the coming year, three hundreds in last summer’s u18 multi day championship for Oxfordshire was an outstanding effort. He now follows in the footsteps of James Coles, Harrison Ward, and Zach Lion-Cachet who have all gone on to get pro contracts with us and he joins Julian Laird who is currently in our Academy. We look forward to working with Arthur to fulfil his potential with both bat and ball.”

Oxfordshire and Sussex Coach and Magdalen College School Cricket Professional, Alan Duncan said:

“Arthur has worked extremely hard since his involvement at an early age in the Oxfordshire Pathway and Sussex/Oxfordshire EPP programme and this showed with his performances over the summer.  Arthur is now hopefully on the road to achieve his goal of playing professional cricket and follow in the footsteps of past Oxfordshire cricketers which have been named in this article already with his selection into the Sussex academy this winter. I would like to wish Arthur all the best and congratulations on the next chapter in his cricketing journey”

Matthew Barnes – Performance Director at Oxfordshire Cricket said:

“We are really pleased that Arthur will be making the transition from our Emerging Players Programme into the Sussex Cricket Academy with our first class partners, Sussex County Cricket Club. Arthur has been rewarded with selection on to the Sussex Cricket Academy in recognition of his performances within County Age Group Cricket and his future potential within the game.  I am certain that Arthur and his family will be proud of his Academy selection and he now has a wonderful opportunity to accelerate his potential.

Arthur has been within our talent development system since eleven years of age and his inclusion on the Sussex Academy cohort will provide him with further development opportunities to accelerate his progression and the support to aid his aspiration of establishing a career within professional cricket. On behalf of everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket, I take the opportunity to wish him the best of luck with the next step in his development journey.”

The former Oxfordshire county cricketer John Martin died on 6 July this year aged 82. A fast medium bowler, he took 45 wickets in 17 matches for the county between 1959 and 1961 at an average of 23.98. His best figures were 6-19 in the victory over Dorset at the Oxford Sports Club ground in 1961. Educated at Magdalen College School he went on to Oxford University where he won cricket blues in 1962, 1963, and 1965, captaining the side in his final year. In 38 first class matches for the University he took 90 wickets at an average of 28.57, with a career best of 7-26 against Derbyshire in 1964. Over the winter of 1965-66 John went on the MCC tour to South America.

In 1961 Oxfordshire played Somerset 2nd XI in the Minor Counties Challenge match. Taking 4-52 in Somerset’s first innings, he impressed the opposition enough to be invited to play for them. Although he only made 2 first class appearances for Somerset he played many matches for their 2nd XI over the next few seasons, turning out when the University term had finished. 

John was also a very talented hockey player, representing Oxfordshire and Middlesex, and winning 30 caps for Wales. He had a long career as a schoolmaster, joining the staff of Wellington College in 1966 and retiring as Deputy Head in 2002. His colleague Chis Potter summarised John’s teaching career ‘In every area, John was able to bring a calming, common sense, dry, pungent wit, good humour, a wealth of experience and a balanced professionalism’.

The former Oxfordshire captain Mike Nurton recalls ‘John Martin (or JD as he was affectionately known) was another talented sportsman from the Magdalen College conveyor belt of the early 1960s.  John represented Oxfordshire Colts and played in the county side in 1961 when Oxfordshire challenged Somerset 2nd XI for the Minor Counties Championship.

My introduction to John was in school matches and playing for Berkshire Bantams against Oxfordshire Colts and when he played for Cowley St John against Oxford City CC. He gave me some valuable advice when I entered the teaching profession and was always a genial host after school matches against Wellington College where he retired as Senior Master. An interesting statistic is that his highest score in first class cricket was 14, which is surprising for such a talented Hockey player!’

Another former Oxfordshire contemporary, Robin Winstone, remembers John as a self-made player who was a great listener, picking the brains of those two legendary bowlers Joe Banton and David Laitt. He also recalled John playing at Lord’s for the English Schools Cricket Association against the Public Schools.

Oxfordshire Cricket are delighted to announce that 17 year old batting all rounder Aimee Diab has been awarded a place on the Vipers Academy for 2024/25.

Aimee, who has played for Oxfordshire at every age group from Under 11s to Under 18s, follows in the footsteps of Abi Norgrove who was selected on the Vipers Academy in 2021 and represented England Under 19s in 2024. 

Sam Arthurs, Pathway Manager at Oxfordshire Cricket said:

“Aimee has demonstrated her ability with both bat and ball for Oxfordshire over a long period of time having first represented Oxfordshire at the Under 11 age group.

We are really pleased that Aimee will now be making the transition into the Vipers Academy. I am sure that Aimee and her family will be extremely proud of her Academy selection, which provides her with a fantastic opportunity to accelerate her potential toward the Professional game. 

Whilst Aimee will continue to represent Oxfordshire, on behalf of everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket I wish her the best of luck with the next step in her developmental journey”. 

Ian Cox, Senior Regional Talent Manager at the Vipers said:

“Having spent 2 years as part of our Regional EPP Aimee has shown she is now ready to progress. Aimee has worked incredibly hard and shown a real desire to develop and we are very excited to continue that development with the enhanced support Aimee will receive from the Academy programme.”

Aimee Diab said:

“I am extremely excited and totally thrilled to have been selected into the Vipers Academy Squad, it looks like this is going to be an exciting season. Not only am I thankful to have been given the opportunity to compete at such a high level but I am also very much looking forward to the season ahead.”

Emerging Players Programme – Selections

In addition to Aimee’s Academy selection, we are equally delighted to announce that four Oxfordshire players have been selected onto the Vipers Emerging Players Programme (EPP) for 2024/25. The Vipers EPP looks to influence and improve young players of high potential just below Academy level, typically serving select pathway players within the 13 to 18 age bracket.

Three players, Niamh Rogan, Rabiya Dogar and Katie Waugh have been retained from 2023/24 whilst one player, Suri Shah, has been newly selected. 

Sam Arthurs, Pathway Manager at Oxfordshire Cricket said:

“On behalf of everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket I would like to congratulate Niamh, Rabiya, Katie and Suri on their selection within the Vipers Emerging Players Programme. 

All four players have worked hard in 2023/24 whilst representing Oxfordshire at the Under 15 and/or Under 18 age groups as well as representing the Oxfordshire Women’s side. 

I know first hand the time and effort that all four players put into their Cricket, and I am sure that themselves and their families are proud of their achievements to date. I am equally sure that all four players will be striving to follow in Aimee’s footsteps and will be continuing to work hard seeking Academy selection over the years to come. 

Everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket looks forward to supporting their development over the months and years ahead.”

Beth Morgan, Regional Talent Manager at the Vipers said:

“We are delighted to welcome all 4 players onto our Vipers EPP programme for 2024/25. This will be Suri’s first year on the programme after impressing throughout our observation process. She will join Niamh, Rabiya and Katie who have all deservedly retained their place on the programme after making significant progress over the last 12 months. The standard of cricket across our observations this year has been higher than ever before which reflects all the hard work players and staff are putting in across all our county pathways. We are all thoroughly looking forward to working with this exciting cohort of players in the months to come.”

On Sunday 29th September 2024 we welcomed over one hundred nominees to the 2024 Cricket Collective Awards Ceremony held at St Edward’s School.

The Cricket Collective awards are an important part of the annual awards and finals day in which we come together to reward, recognise and celebrate the year’s success, and the tremendous amount of time and effort that volunteers throughout the county dedicated to growing and supporting the game in Oxfordshire. 

This year we have seen a high number of nominations with over one hundred people nominated from across Oxfordshire. It has been fantastic to read all the nominations and hear about the excellent work that goes into clubs and communities in the county. 

Volunteers are the heart and soul of community sport. Without you, cricket and sport would not be what it is, so thank you for the countless amount of time, effort and dedication that you give to the sport that we love. 

A special thank you to St Edward’s School for hosting us.

On Sunday 29th September 2024 we welcomed over one hundred nominees to the 2024 Cricket Collective Awards Ceremony held at St Edward’s School.

The Cricket Collective awards are an important part of the annual awards and finals day in which we come together to reward, recognise and celebrate the year’s success, and the tremendous amount of time and effort that volunteers throughout the county dedicated to growing and supporting the game in Oxfordshire. 

This year we have seen a high number of nominations with over one hundred people nominated from across Oxfordshire. It has been fantastic to read all the nominations and hear about the excellent work that goes into clubs and communities in the county. 

Volunteers are the heart and soul of community sport. Without you, cricket and sport would not be what it is, so thank you for the countless amount of time, effort and dedication that you give to the sport that we love. 

A special thank you to St Edward’s School for hosting us.

On Sunday 29th September 2024 we had the privilege of welcoming our players, parents, guardians and carers, extended family members, employees and guests to the Pathway Awards Ceremony held in the Olivier Hall at St Edward’s School in order to celebrate and draw closure to the 2024 season. 

The Pathway Awards Ceremony is a key date in the pathway programme in which we come together to reward, recognise and celebrate individual achievement and team success. 

Before presenting the awards we expressed our gratitude to everyone who contributed to a successful and memorable year. We also took the opportunity to welcome and introduce our special guests, including former Oxfordshire Pathway player and current Oxfordshire Women’s player, Abi Norgrove from the Southern Vipers as the prize giver and Brian Clarke from Kidz in Focus to capture photos of our Award winners. 

We were delighted to welcome over 400 people to the ceremony, first looking back fondly on the 2024 season with a short video capturing special moments from the year. We thank our parents, guardians, carers and employees for sharing their special moments of the year, and Nick Pinhol for his integral role in putting the video together. A printed Awards Ceremony booklet was again made available, along with an online version accessible HERE to share a brief summary of the season from each of our pathway age groups and we hope that you have the chance to digest the series of reports at your leisure. 

The Awards Ceremony would shortly commence in which we recognised, and rewarded the performances and achievements of individuals and teams by presenting the following awards;

1. Individual Performance
2. Individual Recognition
3. Team Performance
4. Batter of the Year
5. Bowler of the Year
6. Disability Award
7. Players’ Player
8. Player of Year
9. Felix Byam Shaw Award

Further information on Award winners across each of the categories for 2024 can be found below.

Individual Performance

Introduced in 2018, the performance awards recognise successful individual performance and were awarded to players for their performances within the final squads in 2024. Within the Foundation Pathway (Under 13’s and below), individual performance awards were presented to players who scored fifty or more, or who took more than four wickets in an innings. Within the Talent Pathway (Under 14s and above), individual performance awards were presented to players who scored a hundred or more, or who took more than five wickets in an innings. The individual performance were presented to the following players;

Individual Recognition

Introduced in 2024 in order to recognise an individual’s selection, with players receiving a round of applause from the audience for;

• Recognition for selection within teams beyond the pathway during the season.
• Recognition for selection onto an academy or first-class county programme

Team Performance

The following team performances received recognition and applause from the audience to recognise outstanding team success in 2024. 

Batter of the Year

Introduced in 2021, the batter of the year award was presented to the leading run scorer from across the Age Group and/or, a player who has made match winning or game influencing performances and/or a player who has statistically performed above, or significantly above their peers relative to the number of games they have played. The Batter of the Year awards were presented to the following players who were deserving recipients in 2024; 

Bowler of the Year

Introduced in 2021, the bowler of the year award was presented to the leading wicket taker from across the Age Group and/or, a player who has made match winning or game influencing performances and/or a player who has statistically performed above, or significantly above their peers relative to the number of games they have played. The Bowler of the Year awards were presented to the following players who were deserving recipients in 2024; 

Disability Award

The Oxfordshire Disability Cricketer of the Year Award was introduced in 2018 and has been presented annually since to recognise an individual for their performances and contribution to the disability cricket programme and/or an individual’s connection with, and support of their peers. This year the disability award was accompanied by the addition of an annual cup that recipients will keep for 12 months. The Disability Award was presented to the deserving recipient in 2024; 

Players’ Player

Introduced for the first time in 2018, the players’ player of the year award is presented to the player who, as voted by their peers, is deemed as the most deserving for their performances or contributions on or off the field. This award may be presented to the player who has scored runs or taken wickets, an individual who has contributed to the team, or a teammate who players’ enjoyed playing with throughout this season. The Players’ Player of the Year awards were presented to the following players who were deserving recipients as recognised by their peers;  In 2024 we have expanded the winners for the Foundation Pathway (Under 13 and below) so that each of the Intra-County Age Group teams has a winner, rather than a collective winner for the age group. The Talent Pathway (Under 14 and above) remains in County Age Group only

Player of the Year

A long standing award which is accompanied by the presentation of an annual shield of prior winners that players can keep for 12 months. The Player of the Year award is presented to the outstanding performer from the age group and/or, a player whose performances have been above or significantly above their peer group and/or, the most impactful player or an individual who has contributed across multiple disciplines with the bat, ball, in the field or in a leadership capacity. The Player of the Year awards were presented to the following players who were deserving recipients in 2024; 

The Felix Byam Shaw Award

This award is presented in memory of Felix Byam Shaw who tragically passed away from meningitis whilst on holiday in France in 2014. Felix was the Oxfordshire Under 14’s captain at the time of his passing, and his death shocked, and saddened Oxfordshire Cricket.

In his memory, the Felix Byam Shaw Award was formed with the family donating a magnificent trophy to be awarded annually to a player nominated from the pathway, who displayed similar traits to Felix. The Felix Byam Shaw Award recognises selflessness and the desire to succeed or to help others to succeed and is presented to a player from within the pathway. The annual presentation of the award remembers Felix, with the trophy honouring his legacy and keeping him as a part of the Oxfordshire cricket family, despite his tragic passing.

The Felix Byam Shaw Award was presented by Kieren Bushnell and Neil Pickup. Two players and one coach were nominated for the award including Ellie Thomason, Imi Watts and Paul Rallings with citations read and each receiving a certificate. The deserving winner was decided by Jane Byam Shaw and presented to Paul Rallings. You can find out more about The Felix Project, inspired by Felix, which believes in a vision of London where no-one goes hungry and good food is never wasted HERE.

Photographs

If you would like to view images from the Pathway Awards Ceremony then please go to www.kidzinfocus.co.uk and follow the instructions and login details shared at the awards ceremony. Photographs will be available to order until 16th October 2024.

Conclusion

On behalf of everyone at Oxfordshire Cricket we thank everyone who attended the pathway award ceremony and once again congratulate all of the deserving award winners for 2024. With the season concluded, we hope that you are able to recount special moments from the year and that you have enjoyed the game we love to the fullest, either as a player competing in an Oxfordshire shirt, or as supporting parent, family member, coach or spectator from the boundary. We thank all of the players, their families, our employees and the wider cricketing community for their contribution to the season of 2024. We hope that the Pathway Awards Ceremony was an enjoyable experience and that has inspired everyone to achieve more success within the game during 2025.

We look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Sam Arthurs

Pathway Manager