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| ECB's All Stars Cricket | |
|---|---|
| Name | ECB's All Stars Cricket |
| Established | 2015 |
| Organiser | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Format | Participation / introductory cricket |
| Age group | 5–8 years |
| Website | England and Wales Cricket Board |
ECB's All Stars Cricket is a national introductory cricket programme aimed at children aged five to eight, designed and delivered by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Launched as a mass-participation initiative, it connects grassroots clubs, local councils, schools, and national sporting bodies to introduce young participants to cricket through structured sessions. The programme operates alongside other ECB youth initiatives and links to community partners, educational institutions, and charitable organisations to broaden access.
All Stars provides a pathway into club cricket via local cricket clubs, community centres, primary schools, and youth organisations such as Sport England, Marylebone Cricket Club, StreetGames, National Trust, Local Authorities of England and Wales, and Active Partnerships. Sessions combine fun activities, equipment, and coaching delivered by coaches registered with the England and Wales Cricket Board workforce. The programme aligns with national events like the ICC Cricket World Cup and domestic competitions such as the Vitality Blast and County Championship to promote progression into junior county systems and talent pathways administered by Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation and county academies of clubs including Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Surrey County Cricket Club, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Middlesex County Cricket Club, and Essex County Cricket Club.
All Stars emerged amid broader ECB strategies following consultations with stakeholders including Sport England, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Youth Sport Trust, and county boards like Sussex County Cricket Club and Hampshire County Cricket Club. Its inception coincided with grassroots reforms modeled after community schemes run by organisations such as Chance to Shine, StreetGames, Lord's Taverners, and partnerships with charities like BBC Children in Need and Prince's Trust. Pilot phases involved clubs associated with historic institutions including Lord's Cricket Ground, The Oval, Old Trafford (cricket ground), and regional development hubs tied to the England Lions programme and England national cricket team pathways. Expansion over subsequent seasons incorporated alignment with school calendars overseen by bodies like the Department for Education and regional sporting networks including Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland initiatives.
Sessions follow a structured curriculum overseen by the ECB that uses age-appropriate equipment and simplified playing formats inspired by short-form cricket such as the Twenty20 format and informal variants used in community leagues. Coaching modules draw on technical frameworks from the ECB Coaching Certificate and performance science contributions associated with National Institute of Sport, while safeguarding and welfare policies reference guidelines used by organisations like Child Protection in Sport Unit and NSPCC. Rules emphasise player rotation, non-competitive activities, and progression markers consistent with county age-group fixtures and talent ID systems used by academies at clubs like Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
All Stars partners with national broadcasters, local media outlets, and sporting federations to recruit participants through campaigns linked to events such as the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, Ashes series, and regional finals hosted at major venues including Leeds/Bradford Airport managing venue, Bristol County Ground, and Trent Bridge. Outreach targets diverse communities via collaborations with organisations like MIND, Sporting Equals, Refugee Council, and regional charity networks including Barnardo's and Salvation Army. County boards and clubs leverage relationships with universities such as Loughborough University, Durham University, and University of Birmingham to access sports science, volunteer recruitment, and venue provision.
Coaches access ECB resources including digital modules, practical workshops, and accreditation pathways paralleling curricula at institutions like UK Coaching, Institute of Sport Coaching, and national coach education hubs at venues like Lord's. Training integrates pedagogical input from bodies such as Youth Sport Trust and performance analytics insights from partners like STATS Perform and Opta Sports. Volunteer recruitment mirrors models used by organisations such as England Basketball and Rugby Football Union community schemes, with safeguarding training referencing standards from Home Office and child-welfare partners including NSPCC.
Independent evaluations by sport policy bodies and research units compared participation metrics with programmes run by Sport England and community initiatives like Chance to Shine and found increases in youth cricket engagement at participating clubs. Media coverage in outlets such as BBC Sport, The Guardian, The Times, Daily Telegraph, and Sky Sports highlighted grassroots growth, while commentary from figures connected to England and Wales Cricket Board and county directors like those at Surrey CCC and Yorkshire CCC noted benefits for retention. Critics from some community advocates and academic researchers referenced issues addressed in reports by English Federation of Disability Sport and equality groups like Stonewall regarding accessibility and inclusion.
Notable initiatives include festival days at major venues historically associated with cricket such as Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston Stadium, Old Trafford (cricket ground), and Headingley; partnerships with national campaigns timed to the ICC Cricket World Cup and Women's Cricket World Cup; and collaborative projects with charity partners including Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners. Regional pilots have involved counties including Kent County Cricket Club, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Somerset County Cricket Club, and Worcestershire County Cricket Club, while legacy projects have linked into broader youth sport strategies promoted by Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Category:Cricket in England