The Academy, led by Academy Director Kevin Innes is the highest stage of our Player Pathway, sitting directly below the professional game and has the Mission Statement:
‘To identify, nurture and develop our talented young cricketers in order that they have the best chance of becoming the professionals of the future’
The immersive year-round programme is eligible to Boys aged 15-19 and aims to develop those selected as people first and cricketers second. Players are stretched and challenged in a supportive environment and are given a high level of ownership for their own development. All players are supported with S&C Programming as well as individual and group coaching from our team of highly qualified, specialist coaches as well as leading external coaches. Players are nominated into the Academy through our EPP, their National County Performance Leads or through our scouting network.
The EPP (Emerging Player Programme), led by its Head Coach, Luke Sharples sits directly below the Academy, but above County Age Group Cricket in our Pathway. The purpose of the EPP is to support the development of high potential players (aged 12-16) with the aim of them progressing and becoming the academy cricketers of the future.
Players are provided with S&C support as well as access to our specialist coaches as well as the sessions being delivered by our highly qualified in-house coaching team. Players are nominated into the EPP from their County Age Group Coaches or by their National County Performance Leads. We also run a sub-EPP programme called the Junior Centre of Excellence, to support the development of young cricketers who have just missed out on EPP selection with a view to them progressing onto the programme in the near future.
The Boys County Age Group Programme led by Luke Pomfret, runs teams from U10-U18 and draw on players who live or were born in Northamptonshire, or those who play club cricket or are schooled in the county.
The County Age Group Programme aims to develop players holistically and to support them as people, not just as cricketers. It also aims to develop as many players as we can that will go on to play professional cricket for Northamptonshire and England, with any players who do not go on to reach this level leaving the pathway as more rounded individuals, with a lifelong love of the game and who will increase the standard of club cricket in the county.
We also run a Sub-County Age Group programme, District Cricket that covers 4 regions (Northampton, South Northamptonshire, East Northamptonshire, Kettering & Corby) at U11 and U13 level, to bridge the gap between club cricket and County Age Group Cricket.
The Northamptonshire Women’s 1st XI is the highest standard of women’s performance cricket in the county. They represent the county in ECB National Competitions and in 2019 went unbeaten, winning every game in both T20 and 50 over cricket.
The Women’s 1st XI draws on the best club players in the county, the highest potential and performing players on the Girls EPP/in the Girls County Age Group Programme but can also sign players from outside of the county.
The purpose of the EPP is to support the development of high potential players (aged 12-18) with the aim of them progressing and moving into the Senior Women’s squad as well as ECB Regional and National Programmes. We also aim that several the older EPP girls will be pushing for selection into the new Regional Centres of Excellence and their Academy set ups.
Players are nominated into the EPP from their County Age Group Coaches and are selected by the Girls EPP Head Coach. Unlike the Boys EPP, we do not go outside of Northamptonshire to select players for this.
Aligning with the Boys County Age Group Programme, teams run from U10-U18 and draw on players who live or were born in Northamptonshire, or those who play club cricket or are schooled in the county.
The County Age Group Programme aims to develop players holistically and to support them as people, not just as cricketers. It also aims to develop as many players as we can that will go on to Regional Centre of Excellence Cricket and to play for England, with any players who do not go on to reach this level leaving the pathway as more rounded individuals, with a lifelong love of the game and who will increase the standard of club cricket in the county