County Age Group Selection Policy 2025

Junior Cricket Is Changing

The ECB will be introducing a new process for identifying and developing talented younger cricketers from this November. 

Traditional County sides at Under 10s, 11s and 12s will be replaced by what is being called ‘The Early Engagement Programme (EEP)’ from this November (2025). County teams, as we all know them, will start at Under 13s and the ECB will continue to run National Competitions at U14s, 16s and 18s for boys and 15s and 18s for girls.

The ECB has given Counties a framework for the EEP along with some guiding principles about how to run it. 

• The EEP is a coaching, training and match play programme for U10s to 12s for winter and summer 
  Matches will mostly not be against other Counties, so will be intra-squad fixtures and will mostly be run by Coaches
• Integrate more beginners with athletic potential into the programme and diversify entry routes
• Work to always enhance access by keeping it affordable, local, and on a level playing field bearing in mind different maturity levels and exposure to cricket coaching and education.
• Try and seriously increase the numbers of children
• The cost of the EEP will be heavily subsidised through Herefordshire Cricket Ltd via the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Herefordshire Cricket will therefore run the following programmes from Winter 2025 into Summer 2026:

Boys

·       Boys U10-U12 EEP (Early Engagement Programme) Limited to Herefordshire Players only

·       Boys CAG U13/14, U15/16 and U18

·       MCC Foundation Hub for Boys U13 and U15 (State School Only)

·       Boys EPP (Emerging Player Programme with WCCC – invitation only)

·       Development X1

·       1st X1

Girls

·       Girls U10-U12 EEP (Early Engagement Programme) Limited to Herefordshire Players only

·       Girls CAG U13, U15

·       MCC Foundation Hub for Girls U15 and U17 (State School Only)

·       Girls EPP (Emerging Player Programme with WCCC– invitation only)

·       1st X1

Boys Observations

There will be open observations for the EEP in September at U10/U11 and at U12 and for the U13-U18 (including those currently in CAG squads).

Parents can nominate their own children, clubs, coaches and schools can also put forward players…….we are seeking to broaden our numbers and capture athletic potential.

Please use this link to register your interest for the EEP observations

Please use this link to register your interest for the CAG observations

There will be NO Girls observations.

Ed McCabe ,  Boys Performance

Kate Brazier, Girls Performance

Herefordshire County Selection Policy-2025