News

Inspired To Play Grant

27/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

The Inspired to Play Grant Scheme 2022 aims to increase the number of children (boys and girls aged under 18 years) participating in the game by supporting the delivery of recreational cricket activity for these groups during the months of June – September 2022.

To support the ambition, today we are thrilled to relaunch the “Inspired to Play” Grant. The scheme aims to increase the number of children (boys and girls) and/or women participating in the game by supporting the delivery of new/enhanced recreational cricket activity.

Your Club can apply for a grant of £1,000 to help your Club open up for new and current players this summer. To apply, please follow the below steps:

Please check your eligibility and requirements by reading the guidance notes
Register your Club on ECB’s Investment Management System (or log in if already registered) and select “Inspired to Play” from the list of funding programmes
Complete the application form and sign and return the contract offer letter to release funding
Closing date for applications 30th June 2022

Guidance Notes – Inspired to Play Grant

County Men Team News for T20 Finals Day

20/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce the 13 man squad selected to play at the NCCA T20 Finals Day on Sunday 22nd May at Tring CC. Oxfordshire will be returning to the ground of last year’s championship success over Suffolk seeking to be crowned t20 champions.

The County Men will start the day with a Semi-Final against Cheshire. In the other Semi-Final, Dorset will be taking on Cambridgeshire

The 13 man squad selected to play at the T20 Finals Day is as follows:

Harrison Ward
Oliver Price
Tom Price
James Coles
Marcus Campopiano
Jonny Cater *+
Ollie Currill
Olly Clarke
George Tait
Luke Charlesworth
Robbie Shurmer
Joe Thomas
Prav Chahal

Tickets cost £10 per adult and children under 16 go FREE!

Gates open at 9am.

T20 Finals Day Schedule*:

1st Semi Final – 10 am Oxfordshire v Cheshire

2nd Semi Final – 1.30 pm Dorset v Cambridgeshire

Final – 4.00pm

*Start times may vary slightly throughout the day

Free onsite parking.

Purchase your tickets for the T20 Finals day here:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/tpcc/t-kroypyg

Oxfordshire and Serious Cricket Launch New Kit Range

18/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire Cricket has reached the end of the current kit cycle that has been in place since late 2017 and will soon transition into a new Training and On Field match range supplied by Serious Cricket. The introduction of the new kit cycle was originally scheduled for 2021, but we opted to defer the transition into a new range for a further 12 months due to the impacting Covid-19 pandemic. The new Training and On Field match range will be launched in 2022 and in place for three playing seasons with the partnership between Oxfordshire Cricket and Serious Cricket extended until the end of 2024.

The new Training and On Field range is a bespoke design made in the Pro Sublimated Teamwear range that features a return of the original county colours to establish a greater connection to the history of Oxfordshire Cricket. The first known origins of the county colours date back nearly one hundred years to the 1920s, where in 1927, it was concluded at the AGM that all subscribing members be allowed to wear the original Club Colours being Blue, Magenta, and Gold. A quarter of a century on from the inception of the original county colours, the then known Oxfordshire County Cricket Club rules booklet of 1953, and later dated issue of 1985 both stated that the club colours were to be dark blue, magenta, and gold stripes with a white Ox badge on the dark blue County Cricket cap and blazer. Over thirty years later the Oxfordshire County Cricket Club (OCCC) and the Oxfordshire County Cricket Association (OCCA) would amalgamate in 1996 to form what is now known as Oxfordshire Cricket Board (OCB).

With a history steeped in the colours of Blue, Magenta, and Gold we wanted to embrace the three original county colours within the new kit cycle, whilst also enabling current players, parents’ and guardians and workforce the chance to influence the forming of the new range. Our Pathway squad players from the 2021 season were afforded the opportunity to share their design ideas for the training and playing shirts and our parents and guardians, coaches and adult players had the chance to feedback on what they would like improved in the playing or training kit. The most significant feedback received was the need to provide both a men’s and women’s fit in the coloured playing range which we are now delighted to offer as part of the new kit cycle.

We are pleased to be transitioning into a new training and on field match range that incorporates both past traditions and present views, but we are acutely aware of the difficulties a new kit cycle may place upon our pathway families. To help bridge the transition into the new kit cycle we shall be introducing several interventions in 2022 to reduce the costs associated with the training and on-field match range. Further information will be communicated once final pathway squad selections have been made.

“Our aspiration for the new training and on field match range was to embrace the three original county colours of Blue, Magenta, and Gold and for the design of the clothing range to be shaped by our current players, parents’ and guardians and workforce. We hope that the new kit range will foster a greater belonging and connection to Oxfordshire Cricket and that everyone will take great pride in wearing the new range they helped shape.”

Matthew Barnes, Performance Director

‘’The Board recognises the hard work that Matt and the team have put into managing the transition to the new kit range, this is a contractual commitment which we cannot defer a second time. However, we are fully aware that these are tough financial times for many, and the timing is not ideal. Matt will be sharing our thoughts on how we make this transition affordable for all selected within pathway squads. This is one of many important components of our EDI plan as we strive to make cricket accessible to everyone’’

Chris Clements, Chairman

County Men Reach T20 Finals Day

12/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire, Dorset, Cheshire and Cambridgeshire booked their places at National Counties T20 Finals Day at Tring Park on May 22 on a tense final day of group matches.

Oxfordshire sat out the final round of matches and had to watch from afar before their place in the semi-finals was secured following a day of dramatic twists and turns at Ampthill where Bedfordshire hosted Berkshire.

Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Berkshire all finished level on ten points but Oxfordshire won Group Four by virtue of their superior net run-rate which was just 0.02 ahead of Bedfordshire’s and 0.22 better than Berkshire’s.

Oxfordshire will now face Cheshire in the first semi final of finals day, starting at 10:00am

This is guaranteed to be a fun-filled day for the whole family! There will be ‘kids zone’ with a bunch of activities for the children to get stuck into including a bouncy castle, obstacle course and face painting.

For our food lovers, you can enjoy a delicious selection of BBQ food and fab tasting drinks from the Coffee Hatch Co.

Tickets cost £10 per adult and children under 16 go FREE!

Gates open at 9am.

T20 Finals Day Schedule*:

1st Semi Final – 10 am Oxfordshire v Cheshire

2nd Semi Final – 1.30 pm Dorset v Cambridgeshire

Final – 4.00pm

*Start times may vary slightly throughout the day

Free onsite parking.

Purchase your tickets for the T20 Finals day here:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/tpcc/t-kroypyg

County Women Team News T20 Finals Day

06/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce the 12 player squad selected to play In the Women’s T20 Finals Day on Sunday 8th of May at the Uptonsteel County Ground (Grace Road). The other counties competing throughout the day are Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northants. Tickets are now on sale for the day, with adults available to enjoy all three matches for £3, while under 16s tickets are priced at just £1. Tickets are available HERE.

The 12 players selected are:-

Emilia BARTRAM

Abi CURRIE (c) (w/k)

Aimee DIAB

Georgia HAWORTH

Ellie INGRAM

Meg JONES

Izzy KIRBY

Abi NORGROVE

Lottie OXTON

Amelie Trivedi

Chloe WESTBURY

Carla WOOD

Sports Kit Recycling

06/05/2022 by Nick Pinhol

What is sports kit recycling?

The Lord’s Taverners sports kit recycling programme collects usable kit from across the UK through a network of local collection hubs. These items are then sorted and redistributed, to organisations within the UK and around the world, who can put them to great use in their communities.

How does it help young people?

Many young people, in the UK and abroad, find it hard to access sport, with one of the main barriers being a simple lack of access to the right kit and equipment. By re-using these good condition items, it diverts them away from landfill sites, and into the possession of projects, groups and individuals who can benefit so much from them.

Having the correct kit gives more young people the opportunity to play team sports and develop crucial life skills such as teamwork, communication, confidence; alongside improving their overall health and wellbeing.

In recent years, the charity has sent large amounts of kit to projects in Germany, Antigua, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and across the UK.

To view the impact your donated kit can have, watch our promotional video: –

How can you donate?

Our collection hubs are situated all over the UK and you can donate your unwanted, usable sports kit, to your nearest hub, which you can find here: Collection Hubs Oxfordshire – (https://www.lordstaverners.org/programme-information/oxfordshire-sports-kit-recycling/).

Alternatively, send your donation directly to our re-distribution warehouse, located in Suffolk:

Unit 8 Yale Business Park, Bluestem Road, Ransomes Industrial Estate, Ipswich, IP3 9RR

We ask all donors to follow these simple rules, before donating kit and/or visiting your nearest collection hub:

Please ensure that all items are properly cleaned and usable
Agree a mutual date and time to drop off your donation
All clothing/equipment must be in a sealed container, box or bag
When handling containers/bags, please wear gloves/face masks
If directed by collection hub, place donation in designated collection zone
The collection hub has the right to refuse any donation on our behalf, if the above steps aren’t followed

For a full list of what we do and don’t collect, please see our collection standards document here (link to – https://www.lordstaverners.org/media/1696/collection_standards.pdf).

Could you be a collection hub?

In order to receive more donations, the Lord’s Taverners are seeking to establish a network of collection hubs in each County. If there isn’t a suitable location near you, why not apply to become a collection point. This can be your cricket club, school, shop, office or even your home!!

Don’t worry, you won’t be inundated with sports kit every day! Most of our hubs are set up to receive kit, during specific times of the year, which co-insides with the start and close of the UK County cricket season.

Can we apply for kit?

For UK deliveries, we look to work with cricket clubs or youth organisations (especially those in economically deprived areas) who wish to develop their junior and youth sections.

To find out more or request an application form, please contact Dave Pemberton via [email protected]

More information

If you would like general information on how to get involved with our sports kit recycling program, please visit the Lord’s Taverners website (link to – https://www.lordstaverners.org/how-we-help/charitable-programmes/sports-kit-recycling/)

Week 1 of Term Begins

29/04/2022 by Nick Pinhol

This week saw schools across Oxfordshire return after the Easter holidays. It has been a busy start to the term this week with over 400 children from primary and secondary schools in the county taking part in our sessions.

The sessions across the county have taken place in different forms which have included:

Primary school whole programmes
Primary school engagement sessions
Girls Secondary School Sessions
Secondary School Sessions
Key Stage 1 Festival

Primary

8 Whole school programmes
2 Engagement days

Festivals

3 KS1 festivals – 300 children

Girls Secondary Sessions

Warriner – 80
Chipping Norton – 88

Secondary School Sessions

Cherwell – 7
Marlborough – 8

County Men Team News v Bedfordshire

29/04/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce the 13 man squad selected to play against Bedfordshire on Monday 2nd of May in two t20 matches at Wormsley. There will be a bar and bbq available for spectators on site.

Oxfordshire will be looking to build on their three wins out of four so far in the t20 competition.

The first game starts at 11 am.

Here is the 13-man squad to play Bedfordshire on Monday 2nd of May 2022

Tom Cosford
Harrison Ward
James Coles
Marcus Campopiano
Olly Clarke
Jonny Cater (capt/wk)
Ollie Currill
George Tait
Harvey Jupp
Tom Condon
Robbie Shurmer
Pravdeep Chahal
Joe Thomas

For updates please keep an eye on our social media channels and our match centre

County Men Team News v Buckinghamshire

29/04/2022 by Nick Pinhol

Oxfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce the 14 man squad selected to play against Buckinghamshire on Sunday 1st of May in two t20 matches at High Wycombe CC.

Oxfordshire will be looking to build on their three wins out of four so far in the t20 competition.

The first game starts at 11 am.

Here is the 14-man squad to play Buckinghamshire on Sunday 1st of May 2022

Tom Cosford
Harrison Ward
James Coles
Marcus Campopiano
Olly Clarke
Jonny Cater (capt/wk)
Ollie Currill
George Tait
Harvey Jupp
Luke Charlesworth
Robbie Shurmer
Pravdeep Chahal
Joe Thomas
Tom Condon

For updates please keep an eye on our social media channels and our match centre

Bulls Start Season against Dragon

29/04/2022 by Nick Pinhol

The Bulls started their 2022 season with a block fixture against The Dragon School on Saturday 23rd of April. The Dragon School have been a supporter of the Bulls programme for a number of years, with fixtures taking place since the Bulls was formed in 2016.

The day saw U11, U12 and U13 fixtures take place at Dragon. In the U11 match, the Bulls won the toss and bowled first. A superb opening spell of bowling by Ed Ferris and Dara Bannerman left Dragon on 25-5, before a 66-run partnership between Leo Amies and Dougal Sidgwick helped them rebuild to post 110-7 off their 20 overs. Amies finished on an excellent 61 not out, with Ferris returning to dismiss Sidgwick and finish with superb figures of 4-14. In reply, the Bulls got off to a good start with Joshua Lamb (33) and Dylan Parkinson (14) both retiring, before Patrick Dineen (21) and Joe Garrow (17) also retired, leaving Benjamin Davis to hit the winning runs, giving the Bulls a ten-wicket victory.

The U12 match saw Dragon win the toss and bat first. Dragon scored 130 runs, with Jimmy Laing top-scoring with 20. In response, the Bulls got off to a good start with Owen Morgan (25) and Evan Cowley (13) putting on 49 for the first wicket. The Bulls then stumbled, slipping to 67-6, with Adam Parker claiming four victims, before Archie Ricks (18) and Alfie Roche steadied the ship with a-58 run partnership for the seventh wicket. At 125-6, victory seemed assured, but three quick wickets to bring Dragon back into the game, only for Roche (34 not out) to hold his nerve and guide the Bulls to a two-wicket win (11 wickets per side).

The U13 match saw Dragon win the toss and bat first. Louis Nicholson (21), Alfie Wilson (35) and Jack Scott (16) all retired as the home side set the Bulls 129 runs to win. In response, the Bulls lost some early wickets in the face of devastating opening spells from Wilson (2-3) and Tom Wray (3-27), leaving the visitors in perilous straits at 21-6. Sam Moore (14), Tom Spokes (19) and Max Fendom (23) helped keep their side in the contest, but the Bulls were ultimately dismissed for 101, losing by 27 runs.

Oxfordshire Bulls

The Oxfordshire Bulls programme forms part of Oxfordshire Cricket’s strategy to engage children and young people by providing targeted support for our Pathway players who attend state schools, and who may not receive the same level of support than others within independent schools.

Our summer fixture programme provides additional playing opportunities alongside club, school and Pathway games. In order to avoid clashes with other matches, and to find the most suitable opposition, the majority of our fixtures are held against Independent Schools at their grounds.

To increase the accessibility of the programme, and to help remove cost as a barrier to talent inclusion, Oxfordshire Cricket has fully subsidised the cost of the summer fixture programme; making it free of charge to all those involved.

Oxfordshire Cricket would like to thank The Dragon School for their support of the programme and for their fantastic hospitality on the day.

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