Photo Credit: ECB
ECB Chair Richard Thompson has penned a letter to the game following a remarkable 2024 at all levels of the game.
o all those who contribute to cricket,
One of the great things about being Chair of ECB is you get to see a lot of cricket. Fortunately, for someone who loves the sport as much as I do, that’s never a problem.
The incredible power of the sport is constantly apparent, on the field and within the many communities we reach.
I’ve watched a sold-out crowd rise to their feet as Harry Brook smacks a massive cover drive for six; I’ve seen the children inspired as Nat Sciver-Brunt strikes a match-defining innings; I’ve watched the last pair in a tightly-fought club game seeing out the last six overs for a draw; I’ve seen new friendships develop from either end of a pre-season net and I’ve been there as a group of kids experience the joy of giving a tennis ball a proper whack for the first time.
I’ve chatted to people who have given their lives to our sport; I’ve met those whose lives have been saved by our sport; I’ve seen clubs that are the heart and soul of their community; and I’ve heard the passion of cricketers who want us to build more and more facilities so we can magnify all of this hundreds of times over.
I think it was Mark Twain who said, ‘find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’. He was onto something there.
2024 has been an amazing year for cricket in this country. England’s Men and Women have played eighteen Test Matches and two World Cups as well as fifteen bilateral white ball series. Over the course of the year, we have competed against thirteen different countries. Some of the cricket played has been truly thrilling.
The talent pathway of young cricketers coming into the England teams has never been stronger. Watching players like Jamie Smith, Maia Bouchier and Jacob Bethell come into the setup, break records and make an instant, electrifying, impact has been amazing, and I can’t wait to see what they continue to be capable of in the future.
It’s also important to remember the contribution of those we have loved for many years. Jimmy Anderson retired this summer, drawing to a close a career that will define a generation of bowlers. He achieved feats that will possibly never be repeated, and it was a privilege for us all to be there and witness his greatness.
As I write, we also have – for the first time since 1991 – the two leading Men’s Test batters in the world, Joe Root and Harry Brook. If you want a quiz question for Christmas, see if you can guess or remember who the two English batters were last time that happened.
We are now on the verge of a Women’s Ashes, a Men’s Champions Trophy and then have both the Indian men’s and women’s teams touring England next summer, before going into a Women’s World Cup and a Men’s Ashes winter. I’m also excited to see us host our first ever pan-disability international series, with India Men coming to England next summer. There has rarely been a better time to be a cricket fan.
This year, despite the challenges of an unusually rainy summer, we’ve seen a record number of recreational fixtures played and 100,000 girls and boys taking part in our All Stars and Dynamos programmes. We’ve seen 1,000 new women’s and girl’s teams founded and with hundreds of thousands more young people playing at school, clubs or other venues up and down the country, the future of our sport in this country is in good health.
With England and Wales hosting a Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and a Men’s T20 World Cup in 2030, not to mention cricket returning to the Olympics in 2028, they will be growing up in a golden era – and we have a golden opportunity to inspire more people to follow our sport.
I set out the goal of cricket becoming the most inclusive team sport in the country. As I’ve travelled up and down the country this year, I’ve been hugely inspired by the amount of work contributing to make this a reality. Thank you to all those who have played their part – and for your commitment to continuing this work in the months and years ahead.
Whether it’s places like the all-weather Dome at Bradford Park Avenue – along with the new Domes set to be opened in Luton and the West Midlands next year – millions of pounds are being invested in improved facilities that will welcome everyone. I hope that with Government support we can build many more in different towns and cities over the next few years. I’m similarly excited by our plans to take cricket back into more secondary schools as part of our State School Action Plan.
Globally cricket is changing, fast. That brings challenges but also opportunities. We’ve been working to attract private investment into the eight teams in The Hundred, to help us make it a world-leading competition that can attract the very best players from around the globe. I’ve been delighted by the interest we’ve received and look forward to seeing the proceeds that are raised being used to lift the whole game in England. To borrow a cliché, a rising tide lifts all boats.
Another exciting development to look forward to is the arrival of the new domestic women’s structure. This is a radical change to how women’s cricket is organised and run domestically and will see counties take individual responsibility for their own teams, academies and pathways. Crucially, I also hope it will herald the beginning of a sharp rise in attendances for domestic women’s cricket.
I couldn’t write a note looking back on 2024 without mentioning the loss of the great Graham Thorpe. As well as being an icon of the English game, he was a close personal friend of mine and, for many, symbolised many of the great things about our sport. His loss will be keenly felt for a very long time. I would also like to pay tribute to other greats of the game we have lost this year, including Derek Underwood and Raman Subba Row – as well as Duncan Fearnley and Dr Frank Duckworth, both of whom have left an indelible impact on our sport.
Finally, some congratulations: in Men’s cricket, congratulations should go to Surrey for winning the Vitality County Championship; to Gloucestershire for winning the Vitality Blast; to Glamorgan for winning the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the Oval Invincibles for winning The Hundred. In Women’s cricket, congratulations to London Spirit in The Hundred; The Blaze in the Charlotte Edwards Trophy and Sunrisers in the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy. Well done also to Pirates, the winners of this year’s Disability Premier League.
Congratulations also to the seven recipients of debut men’s Test caps this year; the five debut recipients of men’s T20 caps and the five men’s ODI debutants. Congratulations to the two recipients of debut caps in women’s Tests; the seven debut recipients of women’s T20 caps and the six women’s ODI debutants this year. I won’t list their names so you can have the question for some Christmas quizzing on your cricket WhatsApp group!
Thank you for the commitment you give to cricket, and for everything you have contributed to the progress we have made this year. Have a very happy Christmas for those who are celebrating, and let’s make 2025 a vintage year for our special game.
With my very best wishes
Richard
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Name of Author: ECB
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body for cricket in England and Wales, formed on January 1, 1997. It combines roles from the Test and County Cricket Board, National Cricket Association, and Cricket Council, and integrated the Women’s Cricket Association in 1998. Based at Lord’s Cricket Ground, the ECB oversees all levels of cricket, including national teams for men, women, and various disability categories.
