Mark Robinson, the former England women's World Cup-winning coach, believes his Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) cricket sides can continue their 'adventures' in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup and reach the finals at Lord's. Robinson, who also coached Sussex's first team for a decade, watched as BACA's U15 boys' team secured a dominant 148-run victory over Midhurst Rother College (MRC) in the Sussex regional finals at Hove on a scorching day.
Competition details and participation
The Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, devised by former England captain Michael Vaughan and MCC chair Mark Nicholas, is a national hard ball competition for state schools across the UK. Named after state school-educated stars Ben Stokes and Heather Knight, the tournament has attracted over 1,100 boys' and girls' teams from more than 800 schools in its inaugural edition. It is organised by the MCC Foundation and supported by Barclays and the Black Heart Foundation.
BACA captain Diyon De Silva delivered a starring performance in the boys' match, while the girls' side also progressed to the next round. The finals for both genders 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.
Robinson's reflections on the team's journey
Robinson emphasised the importance of giving state school cricket a profile. 'For these kids to say they've played at Hove is brilliant,' he said. 'This U15 boys is a good team – we have some really good players and a lot of pathway players. We should have got to where we've got to – I hope we can go all the way to Lord's.' He added, 'You just don't know what's out there – but they're a good team, especially a good bowling team.'
Regarding the girls' team, Robinson noted, 'Our girls team is also amazing - for them to get here is amazing. I'm looking forward for them to go into the next round and watching them have an adventure like they're having.' He described the competition as 'about creating memories – they're on a little journey and they're enjoying each other's company. They will look back on days like this as a great occasion. That's what it's all about – creating dreams, possibilities and memories for people who might not believe they could have done.'
Players and parents share their excitement
Lucy Naumann, who plays for BACA's U15 girls' team, said, 'It's very exciting to be here – watching our boys' team play is really nice. This competition has been so important – it's actually the first time we've had a girls' team at BACA and that's the same for most schools. Having a league to play in has definitely opened up those options for many girls.'
Lee Saunders, whose daughter Cora plays for BACA, added, 'It's fantastic – they've done so well to get through. This competition is what it's all about – it's given them an opportunity to play a game in a competitive environment. It's a great competition for everyone to be able to participate in and they should all take great credit in it.'
Impact and future of the competition
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 state schools in need.
Jack Davies, BACA Principal, said, 'It's so good for them to be playing here – we've played a lot of cricket and it's all building up to now, so it's very exciting. It's got people talking far more about state school cricket – we've tried hard to compete with private school cricket and having this competition is helping us do that and put ourselves on the map. It's about participation more broadly – we've got 50 students here and we'll be showing it back to all our students and everybody's interested. It's all about driving the game and narrative about the competition.'
