England star Maia Bouchier visited MCC Foundation hub in Leyton as part of a nationwide programme which has seen record numbers of state children take part thanks to new funding.
Londoner Bouchier took part in a cricket session with players from the Leyton boys’ and girls’ hubs to launch the start of this year’s MCC Foundation National Hubs competition which will see hubs teams across the country, including Leyton, battle it out for the chance to play at Lord’s, on the main Ground, later this summer.
Over 20,000 young people have taken part in the MCC Foundation Hubs programme since 2012, but a recent £1 million injection of funding over 2 years from MCC and ECB has seen 49 new hubs created across the country this winter including a number across the capital bringing the total number to 126 and increasing overall participation by 1,500. Female participation has also grown by 53% this year. The free 10-week cricket programme between January and April is followed by a national competition.
The MCC Foundation Ambassador and England star explained: “It’s great to see a big increase in young people participating in the programme, especially the number of girls taking part.
“More and more girls are getting into cricket which is great, but we’ve got to make sure the opportunities are there for girls from all backgrounds to have a chance to play the game and potentially progress through the talent pathway.
“It’s brilliant to see so many get these opportunities through the MCC Foundation Hubs programme.”
“We’re seeing a huge growth and interest in the women’s game with England playing in front of sell-out crowds and competitions like The Hundred.”
A number of the new hubs are focused in urban areas like Leyton where access and opportunities to play cricket have traditionally been limited.
The programme also links players to the talent pathway by working with coaches from each of the 18 counties across England and Wales. Over 400 players from the programme have accessed the talent pathway since 2022. They include Anjali Mistry from Leyton who has now progressed into the Essex County Age Group Pathway, has been selected for England under 17’s Action Indoor Cricket team and has recently returned to the Leyton Hub to be part of the coaching team.
Dr Sarah Fane is a director at the MCC Foundation and she explained: “We are already seeing the huge impact the investment from MCC and ECB is having on giving more young people from state school backgrounds the opportunity to access and play cricket and the chance to develop into the talent pathway.
“Nowhere is this more evident than in Leyton where the number of young people taking part has doubled over the last year and the relationship with Essex has seen young players like Anjali develop into their talent pathway.”
It is hoped a further 24 hubs will be created next year as the programme looks to grow even further.
The MCC Foundation National Hub Competition gets underway next month with both the boys and girls finals 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 as little as 14p a day.
