Pathway celebrating successes

SUFFOLK Cricket’s pathway is celebrating some notable successes.

Jack Auld and Charlie Bennett have signed contracts with neighbouring first-class county Essex, while Ben Cross and Felix Norris have been selected for this year’s ECB Bunbury Festival.

Auld, who last year became the first Suffolk Young Cricketer ever to be chosen for the Bunbury Festival, has just signed an Academy contract with Essex.

This follows on from him becoming Suffolk’s youngest debutant since the Second World War, aged just 16 years and 53 days, when making his debut in last month’s NCCA T20 competition Group 2 game versus Cambridgeshire at Ipswich School.

The fast-bowling all-rounder, who attends Hadleigh High School and plays for Hadleigh CC, surpassed the record held by Alex Oxley set in 2017, aged 16 years and 60 days, albeit that was in a three-day Championship match versus Northumberland.

Suffolk Cricket’s Performance Pathway Lead Ben Wallis said of Auld signing an Academy contract with Essex: “This is a fantastic achievement for an U16 cricketer and just reward for the hard work he has put in over the last few years on the EPP programme.”

Chris Gange, who is Suffolk Cricket Director of Performance, added: “Jack is a hard worker and never not turns up training. He takes hold of opportunities and wants the ball to bowl – and also wants to bat.

“Jack deserves all these achievements to date for what he has put in and I am sure he will continue to be hungry to want to get even better.

“It was great having him involved in the T20s for Suffolk 1st XI last month and hopefully many more appearances will follow when available.”

Jack Auld is pictured above bowling on his Suffolk debut versus Cambridgeshire in the NCCA T20 competition Group 2 game last month at Ipswich School. Main photograph: Charlie Bennett bowling for Suffolk in last season’s NCCA Showcase match versus Essex Eagles at Woolpit CC

Bennett, who made his Suffolk debut versus Essex Eagles in last season’s NCCA Showcase match at Woolpit CC, has just signed a rookie deal with Essex.

The 19-year-old fast bowler, who was a student at Ipswich School, came through the Suffolk county age group pathway while playing for Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC, before joining Essex’s Regional Emerging Players Programme at Under-14 level.

Gange said: “Being a bowler in this era can be tough – big bats, small boundaries and attacking game plans to go hard, but he showed in that Showcase game he gives 100%, he backs himself and is a great team-mate and all these qualities will put him in great stead to perform at such a stage.

“We wish him all the very best – and hope he might play some more games for us in the future!”

Wallis added: “It is fantastic for a cricketer that started at a National County to earn a contract as it shows younger players that it is possible if you work hard and perform on the pitch regardless of what county you play for.”

Cross and Norris, who are both 15, have been selected for this year’s Bunbury Festival, which brings together the most talented Under-15 schoolboy cricketers from England and Wales, to compete in 50-over and T20 matches.

They both currently play for the Suffolk Under-15 side and will represent London & East, who will play six matches in the festival at Loughborough, starting on July 21^st versus The North.

Cross, who attends Mildenhall College Academy, plays for Tuddenham CC and Mildenhall, is a left-handed top-order bat and seam bowler, while Norris is a fast bowler and lower-order batter who is at Framlingham College and plays for Easton CC.

Wallis said: “Ben is an attacking top-order batter with a lot of potential; he is a very well organised player that likes to dominate the bowlers. This is something that he has done very well throughout his county age group years.

“He is also a very useful seamer that has the ability to swing the ball, which is a great addition to his top-order batting ability.”

Gange added: “Ben has been great on our EPP programme. He is another hard worker but someone who is proactive at working out his game and I am sure the experiences of the Bunbury Festival will help refine future goals.

“He can be a game changer with his attacking intent with the bat. We wish him the very best of luck.”

Wallis said of Norris: “Felix is a very strong, athletic fast bowler that has the ability to swing the ball at good pace. He always trains really hard and is always looking for ways that he can improve his game.

“His selection for the festival shows how hard he has worked and something he should be really proud of.”

Gange added: “Felix works harder than anyone else in the gym or in the hall. I am sure he will learn lots from being at the festival in an environment where you have all the best U15 players around you.

“It has been one of his goals ever since Jack (his fellow EPP team mate) achieved his selection this time last year. We wish him the very best of luck.”

Of the recent achievements of this quartet of cricketers Wallis added: “Their success is something we are very proud of as a county and shows that all the work we do from top to bottom is paying off.

“The individual success is reward for how hard the lads have worked over the years through our CAG and EPP programmes. A thank you must go out to all of the coaches that have worked with these players over the years.

“I believe that without the network of coaches that we have involved in Suffolk this success would not be possible.”

Gange echoed those sentiments when he added: “The programme we have put in place is one that allows individuals to develop and understand their games and we have a group of coaches who are always challenging the status quo in ensuring that it is effective to get the most out of players.

“The boys, however, have to put the work in, listen and act on the feedback. It is great working in an environment where young people put the hard yards in and challenge each other to get better, often early on a Sunday morning or late into the evening mid-week after a long school day.

“A big hats off to all of them and we wish them the very best of luck and my advice is ‘just be you and enjoy the moments’.”

Tags: Ben Cross, Ben Wallis, Charlie Bennett, Chris Gange, Felix Norris, Jack Auld, Suffolk Young Cricketers

Categorised in: Suffolk Young Cricketers