The Cricket District Premier League - Bridging the gap between state and private school Cricket

YouTube stars, Cricket District, in alliance with Eastbourne Cricket Club, are offering state-school kids an opportunity to engage in a brand-new, exciting cricket league.

Social media sensations, Cricket District, have collaborated with Eastbourne Cricket Club in spearheading a movement to give state-school cricketers much needed access to cricket, that has been dearly missed as of late.

There is no denying that participation in state-school cricket has declined in recent years. Not only has engagement faltered, but the lack of state-schooled cricketers in the professional game suggests that the standard of the development of these schoolkids, in terms of facilities and coaches, has diminished significantly. A Report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket was released in June of 2023, reflecting the enormity of the divide between state and private schools in cricket: 

“The starkness of the class divide and the gulf between state and private school provision in the talent pathway shocked us.”

“Of the 5,072 private and state secondary schools in England and Wales, private schools make up 28.2%, and yet they represent 70.9% of the secondary schools that are connected with the Counties.” 

Though the ECB reacted at the time to the report, stating their intent to grow the number of children playing the game by 10% in a four-year plan which included a fund of £3.5 million, there has been little progress since the report was initially published. 

Enter Jon Purdey, Chairman of Eastbourne CC in Sussex. Disappointed by the lack of investment in state school cricket, the PE teacher formulated the idea for a youth cricket league based in East Sussex that would help to bridge the gap between state and private school talent pathways. 

“The primary aim is to level the playing field for State School Kids, showcase talent, and try to engage with more people.” explained Purdey.

“The feedback was good, but there was no great way of facilitating it. I thought Cricket District would be a great partner, so I went to them shortly after the 2024 season. Jack, Toby, Jacob, and Fergus were excited about the project, so it snowballed.”

"We are constantly trying to improve the experience and strive to provide them with memories that will bind them to our great game.”

To say Cricket District would be a ‘great’ partner could be seen as an understatement. With a total following of 1,292,654 people across all their social media platforms, Cricket District has been a giant of the YouTube world since its official formation in 2020. 

Grounded by their love of the game and dedication to promoting village cricket, the outlet has had a rapid rise to fame, having recently completed their first season at the Betway SA20, as the tournament’s official content partner, as well as signing as the behind-the-scenes content producers for the IPL giants, Rajasthan Royals. 

Having filmed videos with the likes of Ben Stokes, Jimmy Anderson, and Rashid Khan, and recently been awarded with as ECB Video Content Creator of the Year, it’s fair to say that the team know what they are doing. 

Having joined forces, Eastbourne CC and Cricket District finalised the details of the Cricket District Premier League. The concept is simple and brilliant. 

Collaborating with schools in the Eastbourne area, all school kids who signed up for the league were invited to a net session at the beginning of March, led by Purdey: “The combine was a huge success; we had 100% take-up up and all those who we knew were going to turn up loved it. The kids are all so excited about finding out which of the teams they have been selected for.  We have essentially selected the team based on ability, experience, and age, and the more experienced players will form part of the leadership groups of each team.” 

For the first edition of the league, players must be between the age of 8-13, attend a state school, and live around the Eastbourne area. Speaking to Cricket District’s Head of Content, Jack Meacher, he outlined their plans for the league- “Of course, we are starting off with a small selection pool, but in a dream world with all being well, we’d love to expand across the country”. 

The four teams assembled will gather as a group at the end of April to train and get to know each other, before taking on a round robin league, playing every Monday evening at the Saffrons, in Eastbourne. 

“They will play 3 evening matches (Pairs, T20 and A Hundred) with a 35-over finals day to follow up. This will be the first time some of them have played a hardball game, and certainly the first time they have played a 35-over game. We are constantly trying to improve the experience and strive to provide them with memories that will bind them to our great game.”, described Purdey. 

One of the main attractions of the new league is the free kit distribution to all the kids involved, helped significantly by their partnership with Neon Cricket: “The kits have been designed by Jacob Smith of Cricket District, and they are superb. Neon has been fantastic and is branching out into teamwear.  The kids get 2 free shirts, free coaching, and free matches.” 

Purdey emphasised his enthusiasm with the league’s collaboration with other local clubs around Eastbourne: “We met with all the local clubs and invited them to be part of the process and to be involved in the coaching.  They have all supported the process and this will enable us to supplement their cricket and enhance their experience.” 

The community aspect of the league is a huge contributing factor to the fantastic reception that the CDPL has received thus far. The quick-fire nature of the competition allows the children a trailer-like glimpse of our great game and will conceivably draw many more state-school kids to the game – as is the aim. 

Graeme Corbishley, Chair of Pevensey Cricket Club in Eastbourne, summarises the competition excellently: “One of the main attractions of cricket is as a social game, and getting kids an opportunity to train at a great facility with different kids from across the region is brilliant. Thank you to Eastbourne CC and CDPL”.