20,000 children, 7,900 league players, 67 clubs with female teams – a record-breaking year for cricket in Sussex

The Sussex Cricket Foundation has released its annual Impact Report for 2022 and the report reflects on a unique year for community cricket in the county – and recognises a number of landmark achievements for the Foundation.

The county has seen significant growth in participation numbers across all genders, abilities and communities. Over 20,000 children were coached through the Foundation’s Chance to Shine programme, with 1500 children also attending Schools Day at The 1st Central County Ground in July.

The 1st Central Sussex Cricket League, the world’s largest adult cricket league, also saw additional growth in 2022, with over 7,900 players taking part in over 3000 fixtures across 36 divisions.

67 clubs in the county now run active Women & Girls programmes, up from 61 in 2021. 2023 will also see the launch of a Sussex Women’s Premier League which will continue to help grow this side of the game.

It was a record-breaking year for disability cricket in the community. 580 people attended the annual DIScoverABILITY Day, the largest mass disability sport event in the South-East, along with 90 volunteers from local businesses, schools and community groups.

The 1st Central County Ground played host to the first ever D40 County Disability Fixture at a first-class county venue. Sussex batter Alfie Pyle rose the occasion, scoring 162 runs from just 110 balls in front of a crowd of 320 spectators on Father’s Day.

The report also shines a light on the support the Foundation gives to the community through programmes such as its Sporting Memories and Walking Cricket clubs, as well as teaming up with the Brighton & Hove Food Partnerships to deliver 1200 food kits to families across Brighton & Hove.

For those in the county that require mental health support, the Foundation continues to deliver resources through its Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub, free of charge.

Speaking on the report, Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director, said: “2022 was an incredible year with many wonderful highlights, including becoming the first county to host a disability cricket fixture at a professional ground.

“Recreational cricket in Sussex is thriving and participation is continuing to grow across all areas of the game.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has and continues to support the Foundation, 2023 is already shaping up to be another memorable year”.

As well as providing more opportunities than ever to play the game, the Foundation has continued to secure significant investment into the town of Crawley, including funding received from The Cama Charitable Trust which enabled the installations of six new non-turf cricket pitches across the town.

Ish Jalal, Chair, Sussex Cricket Foundation, added: “Congratulations to the entire SCF team and hundreds of volunteers for all their hard work and dedication during 2022. An extraordinary year of achievements, many of which have been highlighted in this report.”