Afro-Caribbean Engagement programme close to delivering young cricketers to Yorkshire CCC pathway

The scheme, which is chaired by former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent, has since expanded its reach to the likes of Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and others.

In November 2022, the programme partnered with Yorkshire County CC. One year later, and it is seemingly thriving at its base in Sheffield.

At present, the scheme’s South Yorkshire hub engages with an average of 25 children each week to teach promising 10- to 15-year-olds the sport’s ropes and help them on their way to boosting Afro-Caribbean representation in the cricketing world.

These sessions are led by development officer Andre Jackson who believes it is only “a matter of time” until participants in the scheme find themselves on Yorkshire’s prestigious county pathway.

Talking to The Yorkshire Post, he said: “We’re still quite new, but one of the aims is to get them all the way to the top. Everyone’s quite excited about the programme, so there’s going to be a fast transition. There are a few that are quite talented.

“I’d say in the next six months to a year, a few of them will benefit from county pathways and try to go as far as possible.

“It’s just a matter of time.”

His current efforts are mainly focused on increasing engagement in the area, through both regular school visits and Friday evening sessions.

“We’re just trying to engage with the community as much as possible”, he said. “It benefits the community, and I can see that often enough when I do cricket hub sessions.

“They provide a place for the kids to engage with one another and learn new skills.

“I think the community comes together as well and I think that’s good for cricket.”

“There’s not a lot of programmes like this around.”

When asked why Sheffield was selected as its initial base in the county, Jackson pointed towards the steel city’s fierce cricketing heritage alongside the integral influence of Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club. Such is the success of the project that there are already plans to form hubs in Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford over the next few years.

Another central factor in bringing the scheme – which has so far worked with over 10,000 young people nationwide – to God’s Own County has been the strong helping hand provided by Yorkshire County CC.

Jackson added: “They’ve been a massive help to be honest. Without Yorkshire CCC and the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, this programme wouldn’t have been as successful as it is right now.

“They’re always keen to find out about events so they can come down and do a feature on it. Their high drive and passion for the sport, I think that’s great for everyone.”

While working with four schools across the city, Jackson is often helped by a troupe of selfless volunteers who share his passion for spreading the wicket’s word, like Sheffield Hallam undergraduate Harry Lewis.

He said: “I think it’s very important, especially with what’s happened recently with Yorkshire cricket. I think the area having cricket for everyone is a big thing.

“In my studies, we look at concepts such as ‘sport for all’ and ‘sport for good’ and when you see initiatives like this, it’s great to see,” he added.