SCC Cricket Academy

From our Director of Cricket, Scott McKechnie:

It seems almost unfathomable that 18 months have passed, since the day our children flooded the Padang together with our new friends at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in what was an absolute celebration of Cricket at the Club! That day remains so fresh in our minds. It feels, slowly but surely, that we’re now moving towards a day where such incredible memories can be presented once more & we thank you so sincerely for your patience and support through this almighty storm that we’ve all had to weather, together. Pleasingly, Junior Cricket at the Club is in excellent health. Participation numbers hold true and the financial health of the program has enabled us to navigate these stormy waters without any loss of resource or key personnel, for which we are so, so pleased. Our human resource in fact has grown through this phase with the integration of David Bennett who is now installed within a full-time administrative role to the program! And my word, are we lucky to have him. We are in the process of planning for a 2022 rich in opportunity, both home and abroad. I think we will all be more appreciative of just about everything that touches our lives in a post-COVID-19 era & we can’t wait to continue to use Cricket as a vehicle that enriches so many lives across our Junior, Senior, Community and Corporate Engagement programs. Warmest wishes towards a calm & wholesome holiday period ahead; we can’t wait to see you on our return in 2022! Better times are afoot.

From our Head of Junior Cricket Pathways, Anish Paraam:

The last eight months have personally been very fulfilling. Cricket has always been my first love. To have the opportunity to be around it 24/7 and teach the sport to the younger generation has been a blessing. Also, it is a privilege to be able to call my office a playground. COVID-19 has indeed impacted the Junior Cricket Program. The restrictive and unpredictable phase has made it difficult for us to execute our set plans for the program. However, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. This turbulent period gave our kids the opportunity to focus on their fundamentals. It also allowed our coaches to spend more personalised and quality time with the kids. On a personal level, my learning curve has been steep and I have been pushed far beyond my comfort zone on many occasions which has been instrumental in my growth. To counter the volatile nature of the ‘beast’, adopting an ‘Onward and Upward’ mentality is essential. Being versatile and adaptable has served the program well and we will continue to strive to remain so.