As the year draws to a close, this is a message first and foremost to thank everyone involved in cricket in Buckinghamshire for their efforts through the year. The passion for the game in Bucks is strong, and while there are always challenges, I am confident we will continue to collectively drive the game forward.

There are no silver bullets for success. But I thought it was worth sharing some themes that we see work more often than not when we look up and down the county.

For Junior Cricketers and their Parents: put the enjoyment of the game first (players who enjoy cricket stay in the game longer and improve more over time), then put the will to improve second and work on all areas of your game (skills, physical, tactical and emotional). There are no magic answers - the best players have the best basics, a positive mindset, and work on them as often as they can. Progress is rarely linear, and periods of struggle are often the strongest indicators of future improvement.

Enjoyment and continual improvement will take you further than heaping pressure on yourself to perform. If you analyse your performances, think about how many matches you help your team win and whether you brought positive energy to the team, rather than focusing on selection, averages or short-term outcomes. Let the results look after themselves if your process is right

For Clubs: the most sustainable clubs we see are those that invest deliberately in people, not just teams - continually building a broad volunteer base and ensuring the Cricket Club is a place the whole family wants to spend their summer evenings and weekends. Over time, this approach consistently produces stronger senior cricket as a by-product, rather than clubs that spend most of their time thinking about their 1st XI.

Please keep investing time and effort - and getting the right coaches and organisers on board – in Women and Girls’ Cricket. Clubs that do this well are not just growing participation; they are building future volunteers and lifelong members. Cricket has to be a game for everyone, and we may never have a better chance to build momentum than next summer, with the Women’s T20 World Cup being played here.

Bucks Cricket is primarily a team of development officers and coaches. I know first-hand how much care they have for cricket and for cricketers in Bucks, and how much thought they put into every decision, always with the long-term health of the game in mind, often balancing competing agendas, all with valid arguments. I want to thank them for their hard work and commitment to cricket in Bucks – we are lucky to have them.

We have published the Bucks Cricket CIO Impact Report for 2025, available on our website here: https://buckscricket.co.uk/pages/impact-report

To pick out three highlights from the season:

• Clubs collectively had 49 Girls’ teams that played in 262 fixtures in Bucks Girls’ Leagues - a 70% fixture increase from 2024
• Bucks Cricket was awarded ‘County Board of the Year’ by the MCC Foundation for our work developing talented cricketers from State Schools
• Bucks Men won the NCCA Championship for the second time in three seasons, with three debutants this year who have come through the County Player Pathway

Bucks Cricket is entering into a new strategic cycle from 2026 to 2028 - having successfully presented our strategy to the ECB, and this Autumn having received ECB ‘Ready to Invest’ status, where they will match-fund new community programmes we are looking to set up.

We are looking for Sponsors for the next three years. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in supporting Bucks Cricket, see more details on our website here: https://buckscricket.co.uk/blog/bucks-cricket-seeking-sponsors-for-2026-2028-

We have been delighted that this Autumn, we have received funding from The Clare Foundation, HS2 Ltd and the Rothschild Foundation to take cricket into our urban areas (particularly Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and High Wycombe) to those who would not otherwise be able to access it, whether that’s due to cost, cultural or confidence barriers – and then hopefully transition participants into Clubs for lifelong participation.

Bucks Cricket became a charity in 2023. Individuals can make gift-aided donations to Bucks Cricket CIO via PayPal, with the funds going towards supporting talented young cricketers to access pathway coaching and match-play. Via here: https://www.paypal.com/GB/fundraiser/charity/4813500

You can follow all the latest updates from Bucks Cricket on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn

That’s everything from me, for now. Bucks Cricket is closed down between Sunday 21st December and Thursday 1st January, so that staff can switch off, recharge and come back in 2026 refreshed to work with our whole cricket network - supporting more, better and inclusive cricket from MK to Marlow and everywhere in between.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable Christmas and festive season.

Many thanks,

Rich Hudson

CHIEF EXECUTIVE
BUCKS CRICKET CIO