ACE claims more success in Bristol as nine graduates join county pathways

SAM MORSHEAD: Six young cricketers from the initiative have been taken into Gloucestershire’s age-group squads, while two will team up with Wiltshire. One has been drafted into the Somerset pathway

The ACE Programme's Bristol hub is celebrating seeing nine graduates being accepted onto county pathways, just over a year after the south west centre was founded.

Six young cricketers from the initiative have been taken into Gloucestershire’s age-group squads, while two will team up with Wiltshire. One has been drafted into the Somerset pathway.

It is a considerable boon for ACE, which operates two community hubs and goes into six schools in the Bristol area each term, in addition to providing Saturday night sessions for its regional academy.

^{The ACE Programme was set up in Bristol in late 2021 [supplied/Gloucestershire Cricket]}

Theo Gordon, the programme’s lead coach in Gloucestershire, told The Cricketer: "What we've been able to achieve is unreal, and it shows there is talent out there. We just have to reach and grab it, and make them feel like they do below in the system."

ACE are planning on opening a third community hub in Bristol next month, and will hold a Bristol open day on February 11 as they bid to identify yet more untapped talent.

"The idea is to dominate Bristol as much as we can, and pool all the resources in here at the moment and see how much we can reach,” Gordon said.

"When there's an opportunity, no matter how far they have to travel to get it, they will."

^{ACE's Bristol lead coach Theo Gordon [supplied/Gloucestershire Cricket]}

Gloucestershire head of pathways Mark Thorburn said: "We are aware of some of the barriers which exist when it comes to people feeling comfortable, or making cricket a game for everyone.

"Clearly, the ACE programme wouldn't exist if it hadn't been identified that something like that would give people the additional support, confidence and infrastructure to get into the game.

"The fact that some of these players are travelling distances to come to Bristol shows the importance of and need for the programme, as perhaps they don't have options locally."

A special report on thecricketer.com catalogues the work done by ACE over the past year. To get access to all digital content via The Cricketer App, for just £3.99 per month, sign up to our premium service.