Towards the back end of 2023, Berkshire Cricket piloted a new scheme aiming to offer MCC Foundation Hub trials to a select group of female cricketers who showed potential in their taster sessions in schools. Those that performed well and showed an increasing desire to improve their skills were awarded with a ‘Golden Ticket’ which would mean they would be invited along to our MCC Foundation Trials.
The Berkshire Cricket coaches went out to a small number of school across the county, delivering free sessions to secondary schools in the hope of finding talented players who could be a part of our expanded hub programme.
In 2023 we could only offer 32 places, whilst this year we have been able to offer 80 places on these hubs. Through a very limited number of sessions in schools, five of the girls now taking part in the hubs got their opportunity directly off the back of one of our Golden Ticket Sessions.
On the back of this success, we will look to offer even more free Golden Ticket Tasters next year and introduce more young cricketers the opportunity to trial for the MCCF hubs.