England star Maia Bouchier visited the MCC Foundation hub in Leyton as part of a national program involving a record number of children in the state thanks to new funding.
Londoner Bouchier kicked off this year’s MCC Foundation National Hubs competition by taking part in a cricket session with Leyton boys and girls hub players. The competition will see teams from hubs across the country, including Leyton, compete for the opportunity. Play at Lord’s on the main ground later this summer.
More than 20,000 young people have taken part in MCC Foundation hub programs since 2012, but a recent injection of £1 million over two years from MCC and the ECB will see 49 new hubs established across the capital this winter. The total number increased to 126, and the total number of participants increased by 1,500. This year, female participation also increased by 53%. A free 10-week cricket program runs from January to April, followed by a national tournament.
The British star and MCC Foundation ambassador explained: “It’s great to see a significant increase in the number of young people taking part in the programme, especially girls.
“It’s great that more and more girls are getting into cricket. But we need to ensure that girls from all backgrounds have the opportunity to play the game and potentially progress through talented pathways.
“It’s great to see so many people getting these opportunities through the MCC Foundation Hubs program.”
“We are seeing tremendous growth and interest in the women’s game, with England playing in front of sell-out crowds and competitions such as The Hundred.”
Many of the new hubs are concentrated in urban areas such as Leyton where access to and opportunities for cricket have traditionally been limited.
The program also works with coaches in each of the 18 counties across England and Wales to connect players with pathways to talent. More than 400 players in the program have accessed the talent pathway starting in 2022. This includes Leyton’s Anjali Mistry, who has now progressed to the Essex County Age Group Pathway and has been selected for the England Under-17 Action Indoor Cricket team and recently returned to Leyton. Herb will be part of the coaching team.
Dr Sarah Fane, Executive Director of the MCC Foundation, explained: “We are already seeing the investment from MCC and the ECB advance the talent pipeline and opportunities to expose and play cricket to more young people from public school backgrounds.
“Nowhere is this more evident than at Leyton, where the number of youngsters taking part has doubled since last year and our relationship with Essex has helped young players like Anjali progress down the path to talent.”
An additional 24 hubs are expected to be created next year as the program is expected to grow further.
The MCC Foundation National Hub Competition begins next month with the finals for both boys and girls taking place at Lord’s on Saturday 20 July.
For exclusive stories and all the detailed cricket news you need, Subscribe to The Cricket Paper Website, digital edition or newspaper From 14:00 a day.
