Former Sussex coach excited for Brighton College home ground return

School's fixtures had been forced away from main pitch

Is there any better feeling for a young cricketer than playing in front of a packed crowd?

At Brighton College, pupils will now have that to look forward to again after construction work at the school, which meant first XI fixtures were forced away from their historic Home Ground pitch in recent years, was completed.

And, while the College's idyllic Jubilee Sports Ground, set in the South Downs, makes for a wonderful alternative space for fixtures, master in charge Mark Davis is looking forward to games being back at the heart of school life again in 2025.

"Being back in the middle of the school is going to be a huge boost," said the former Sussex cricketer and coach.

"Cricket being quite prominent in the school will be good for our main games, with lots of boys and girls going past.

"If I remember back to my school in South Africa, the pitch was right in the hub of the school so I always felt really proud to represent the school.

"Hopefully it'll inspire them and really motivate them too."

The return to Home Ground comes from a position of strength, having been unbeaten in block fixtures over the course of 2024 and giving plenty of credence to Davis' stated aim of making the College one of the top cricket schools in Sussex.

"Having been where we were when I started here just after Covid, we have done really well," said Davis.

"My ambition was to make sure we were right up there and competing.

"Our development has been amazing and pupils will come to Brighton College now seeing cricket as a serious sport."

But it's not just those vying for First XI honours who are his concern, and Davis is keen to foster a love of cricket among the wider school community too.

"We want to make sure kids keep on playing the great game," he said.

"That's one of the great challenges for schools at the moment.

"With the better teams we try to focus on the cricket side of it, but for our younger pupils who aren't as competitive, we try and have a lot of fun with them.

"We can play games that enhance the skills they need to play cricket instead."