Essex Cricket, Flicx UK, and Eclipse Cricket Consultancy have joined forces in a partnership designed to support the growth of cricket in state schools and the wider development of cricket facilities across the county.
Designed for schools who do not have access to fine turf cricket pitches, the 2G Flicx Pitch allows these schools to develop a cricket programme with its versatility to perform on various undersurfaces.
These include grass fields, playgrounds, sand-dressed AstroTurf, indoor sports halls, tennis courts and 3G rubber crumb, among others, and the result is a transformation of these surfaces into being more suitable for cricket, while also making the game look and feel much more authentic to pupils.
As part of the partnership, Flicx UK will provide a discounted pitch bundle to participating schools as well as rolling out pitches for finals days of school competitions.
This will allow Essex Cricket in the Community and Eclipse to host multiple simultaneous games at venues such as The Cloud County Ground and Billericay CC, while also providing other activations to enhance the cricketing experience.
Speaking about the partnership, Kate Costin from Flicx UK said: “This partnership truly aligns with our values at Flicx to create more opportunities for more people to play cricket.
“We are fully committed to supporting and helping Paul and Dan to build on the fantastic competition structure that is in place in Essex and am sure that the 2G Flicx Pitch will further enhance pupils’ enjoyment of the game.
“Schools who invest in a 2G Flicx Pitch also can attract facility hire income from local clubs and look to develop a relationship to support their pupils to develop a lifelong love of the game.”
Eclipse Consultancy owner and Director of Cricket, Paul Davidge, added: “Many schools entering really struggle with suitable facilities to host cricket so the portability and flexibility of the great Flicx solution mean it will be a fantastic product for schools to invest in to take their cricket programmes to the next level.
“I have also seen, with the growth of cricket in independent schools and clubs, that the pressure on turf wickets is high so the ability to roll out Flicx Pitches on the outfield is a great way to increase space for matches and training.”
Dan Feist at Essex Cricket in the Community, said: “At Essex we have a strong history of state school cricket with currently over 50% of the pathway having attended state school. It’s great to have Flicx on board to enhance the player experience at finals days and allow us to grow the game further in these schools.
“Creating an offer that is not just exciting for the pupils, but also engages teachers by creating a format that fits in with the school timetable, is absolutely the right thing for us to do.
“Together with Flicx, we also have an innovative way in which sponsors can support the development of cricket in state schools with logo branding on the bright, bold, bespoke pitches that can pave the way for girls and boys to develop a passion for cricket in all schools.”
“Having Flicx attend and support the festivals will also enhance the experience we can offer pupils which will only help to grow the game further. There are so many opportunities for schools and clubs alike to grow the game with 2G Flicx Pitches”.
