The first scholarship at the University of Essex for a key member of the Essex County Cricket Club’s Youth Development squad has been announced.
Brentwood based fast bowler Tom Moore, aged 19, will be joining the University in October to study for a BA in Sociology and Management while training and playing for Essex CCC. He has been awarded a bursary of £2,500 per year of his three year course by the University as part of its commitment to invest in the development of high-quality athletes.
Tom said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to carry on playing cricket and continuing onto University, doing a course which should help me in my cricket career”.
The University and Essex CCC have signed up to a new partnership, with the long term goal of providing two scholarships a year for Academy cricketers. The Academy run by director John Childs and fast bowling coach Chris Silverwood is keen to develop home grown talent as the county club sees this as the way forward in producing county and England cricketers from Essex players in future years.
Through this partnership with the University, promising young cricketers, both men and women, will study in their home county and so increase their contact time with the cricket club’s coaching staff.
Peter Church, Director of Commercial Services at the University, said: “We believe this will increase students’ interest in considering their local universities and also hope to attract students from overseas”.
Dave Parry of the University’s Human Performance Unit will work closely with Anthony Sharp, Sports Science and Medicine Manager at Essex CCC on joint initiatives focussing on fitness and rehabilitation and there are plans afoot for matches to be held on the University’s pitch.
John Childs said: “This is a superb opportunity for the students, the club and the University".
The scholarships will be in the form of a contract with the academy cricketers and would be paid on the basis of the students meeting targets agreed by the University and Essex CCC. The University already has experience in this field, continuing to offer bursaries to talented squash players.
Tom, who took his GCSEs at St Martin’s School in Hutton and then went onto Brentwood School for his A Levels, has spent this winter playing for the Toronto Kookaburras in Newcastle, Australia, and is currently playing for Essex’s second XI.