Trials to be held for Cambridge MCC Foundation Cricket Hub

State school cricketers from across the county will get the opportunity to access top-quality coaching at the Cambridge MCC Foundation Cricket Hub this winter.

Trials are being held on December 1 at Hills Road Sports Centre for the boys’ under-13 and under-15 squads, and the girls’ under-13 team.

The aim is to identify 16 players to receive access to coaching throughout the spring term, before a series of matches next summer.

Cambridge’s hub was founded in 2013 at Comberton Village College and is one of 54 across the country, funded by the MCC Foundation, the charitable arm of the MCC.

“It’s just a really good ethos,” said Joe Uttridge, the Cambridge MCC Hub manager and a coach. “Born out of the lack of quality cricket in state schools, we have good coaches come and do 10 indoor sessions.

“After the county, it’s the next and only form of representative cricket in Cambridge. If the kids are good enough, they will get the opportunity to go up to the county set up.

“The atmosphere and environment is a bit different to your high-performance county programme.

“A lot of kids like that as it’s all about opportunity and not so much winning, everyone gets a bat and everyone gets a bowl and we are looking to add value to every individual as a cricketer and a person no matter what level they start at.

“We don’t want to miss anyone that could potentially have the opportunity in gaining a place in the Cambs hub. We have a trial and then pick a squad of 16 to work with from January to July.

“Everything has gone out to schools and clubs but we want to publicise as widely as possible.”

The matches in the summer term are against hubs from Nottingham, Oundle, West Norfolk and Colchester.

“On top of that, I also run a T20 competition but we shorten it a bit to T16 for under-15s and T12 for under-13s at Histon CC, which is my home club,” said Uttridge. “We have whole day of exciting competitive cricket which is a really good learning curve for all those involved.”

Max Holden, the Middlesex batsman and former England under-19 player who attended a state school in Cambridge, is the Cambs hub ambassador and tries to drop into one of the sessions to field questions from the youngsters about his cricketing career and experiences.

For information or to find out more about the trials, email Joe Uttridge at juttridge@combertonvc.org or visit cambscricket.org.uk.