New ACP Licence Holders Appointed

We are delighted to announce the appointment of 2 new Area Cricket Programme Licence Holders who will take on the running of the Bromley Bulldogs and Greenwich and Lewisham Thamesiders Area Franchises.

The ACP started in 2015 and forms the basis of the Talent Pathway in Kent, bridging the gap between Club and County Age Group cricket.

Over the past few months, Kent Cricket have been working to appoint new franchise holders for 2 Areas, inviting applications from individuals and organisations to bid for the Area Licence.

TOP Cricket Academy will take on the Greenwich and Lewisham Thamesiders after their success delivering the Area Programme in Bexley, working closely alongside the participation programmes that work in the Area to promote cricket in Schools and Clubs.

TOP Cricket took over from Bexley District Cricket to run the Bashers and have taken the Area from strength to strength in recent years with their outstanding programme of coaching.

Dave Hathrill – ‘We are honoured to be selected as the new franchise holders for the Greenwich & Lewisham Thamesiders. We are really excited for the opportunity to bring our ideas & plans into the set up to build on the work that has been done thus far. Working closely with the county & other relevant stakeholders we are confident that the enthusiasm & quality that we embody as a company will help take the programme to the next level.’

In Bromley, Spark Cricket have been appointed to lead the Bulldogs. Spark Cricket is owned by Eastbourne College, a charity delivering education to boys and girls from 9 months to 18 years old. It was created to offer wider opportunities in extra-curricular activities, particularly sport, with a focus on nurturing talent in all areas.

It has since built a reputation of excellence in cricket by combining excellent coaches with a willingness to learn and embrace science backed methods in youth development.

Rob Ferley, Spark’s Director of Cricket, said ‘The SPARK coaching team is delighted to be appointed as the new Area Licence Holders for Bromley. Whilst our team draws from a wealth of professional playing experience, we do not believe this is the key part of the puzzle in delivering a successful junior programme. Such skills take time to acquire. Our many years of working in youth sport with an open-mind and through delivering an evidence-based approach has allowed us to fulfil our core philosophy ‘to inspire and nurture a lifelong passion for cricket’. The biproduct of this holistic approach has been exceptional performance outcomes with 5 players making first-class debuts from our programmes in the last 2 years. We look forward to meeting with key figures within clubs and schools soon, as well as players, parents, and guardians of those that aspire to be a part of the Bromley Area for the 2021-22 programme.’

Matt Fagg (ACP Manager, Kent Cricket) – ‘We are delighted to appoint the New Licence Holders and look forward to seeing how they can impact Cricket in their Areas. TOP have done wonders with the Bexley Bashers set up since taking over there and we hope they can do the same in Greenwich and Lewisham.

We are also delighted to welcome Spark to the ACP, who bring with them a wealth of experience in developing talented cricketers. We look forward to seeing their impact in Bromley and the wider ACP with the knowledge they bring.’

Min Patel (Head of Talent Pathway, Kent Cricket) – ‘I am very excited about what both Spark (Bromley) and TOP (Greenwich) will bring to two very important Area programmes. Both coaching teams have a proven track record in identifying and developing young cricket talent which is critical for Kent Cricket to continue producing home grown players for Kent and England.’