Tymal Mills believes the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup is breaking down the ‘barriers’ he had to battle through to make it to the top. The former England seamer, 33, went to a state school in Suffolk and paid a special visit to the Sussex regional finals of the trailblazing new competition.
New Competition Attracts Over 1,100 Teams
The brainchild of Michael Vaughan, the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup is a national hard ball competition for state schools across the UK – with over 1,100 boys’ and girls’ teams from more than 800 schools entering the inaugural edition. Mills, who captains Sussex in the T20 Blast, was in attendance on a baking day at Hove as Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) triumphed over Midhurst Rother College (MRC) in the county finals.
Mills Hails Initiative for Broadening Access
He hailed the initiative for broadening the demographic of students with a chance to play cricket and hopes more can enjoy the benefits of a sport that has given him so much. “It’s awesome and a brilliant day for the kids,” he said. “I was state school educated for my entire education and never found my way out to situations like this. There are a lot of barriers that state schools might naturally struggle for, so credit to all schools who have entered and all those who have made it this far. It’s a great initiative and a sign that things are starting to get a little bit better in terms of state school representation.”
Cricket’s Social and Rewarding Nature
“It’s about keeping the love of the game, enjoying away days and evenings after – cricket is such a sociable game like that. It’s a long and time-consuming game but it’s also very rewarding – it’s given me an awful lot. Hopefully these cricketers can get that experience and love for it – whether that’s going to be playing professionally or recreationally.”
Tournament Organised by MCC Foundation
Devised by Vaughan and MCC chair Mark Nicholas, the tournament – named after state school-educated stars Ben Stokes and Heather Knight – is organised by the MCC Foundation and supported by Barclays and the Black Heart Foundation. The boys’ and girls’ finals will be held on the Main Ground at Lord’s on September 10, with regional semi-finals taking place at Headingley and Wormsley in July.
Winners to Be Honoured at Lord’s
The winners of each final will have their school names engraved on a new Honours Board in the Writing Room of the Lord’s Pavilion and will raise a trophy made and designed by Thomas Lyte, the makers of the FA Cup. The competition also sees schools in the independent sector assist with equipment and facilities, with many lending their grounds and pitches to those state schools who need it.
Dream Come True to Play at Lord’s
“It’s epic to play at Lord’s and that will be a dream come true,” he added. “The fact that potentially some kids here today can get the chance to do that is amazing. It’s amazing to see the support that’s been put behind the whole initiative. No matter what level or stage you want to see growth and things getting bigger year on year – 1,100 teams in year one is a great starting place and I’ve got no doubts all those teams will be back next year and more will join also.”
