Worcestershire Academy will be involved in a mixture of red ball, List A and T20 cricket spanning more than 20 fixtures this summer and including three ECB competitions.
The Academy enjoyed a successful time in 2023, winning their ECB Under-18 County Championship Group for the second successive year.
They also reached the final of the ECB County Plate 50 over competition before losing to Surrey in the final at Kibworth.
A series of 50 over matches will dominate the early part of the fixture list, including the annual trip to compete in the Shrewsbury School Festival with three matches in three days.
The ECB T20 tournament will then take centre stage with a series of double headers before the Academy launch their ECB County 50 Over campaign with a first round tie against Staffordshire at Alveley.
The final third of the season is dominated by the ECB Under-18 County Championship with five three-day games in the space of six weeks.
Academy Coach, Elliot Wilson, said: “Red ball cricket is something we’ve put a lot of emphasis on over a long period of time now, learning how to play red ball cricket.
“We have worked really hard in the winter and been creative about learning the skills to play long format games of cricket.”
Wilson said Academy players will again be encouraged to go and play National Counties cricket when the opportunities arise.
He said: “We are working very closely with Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire to ensure our older and stronger players can go off and play some National Counties cricket.
“We’d much rather get them playing against adults than Under-18 boys cricket.
“We’ve also ourselves got games against Herefordshire, Cheshire Seconds and Staffordshire Seconds which are some of our best games because they are against guys who are older and wiser.
“That is a real challenge for any young cricketer and those three games will really benchmark where our lads are in relation to making that step up to the next level.
“We want them to play lots of league cricket and National Counties cricket. It means our next cabs off the rank can play Under-18s cricket and will be getting the chance to push for their own selection into the Academy.”
ACADEMY FIXTURES 2024
APRIL
3 Nottinghamshire – Kidderminster – 50F
4 Gloucestershire – Kidderminster – 50F
10 Millfield School – Shrewsbury School – 50F
11 Shrewsbury School – Shrewsbury School – 50F
12 Worksop College – Shrewsbury School – 50F
24 – Herefordshire Development X1 – TBC – 50F
MAY
13 Univ of Worcester-Herefordshire Development X1 – Colwall – 50F
19 Warwickshire – Barnt Green – ECBT20
26 Bromsgrove CC – Bromsgrove CC – T20F
27 Wales – Bromsgrove School – ECBT20
30 Gloucestershire – Cheltenham College – ECB T20
JUNE
2 Northamptonshire – Bromsgrove School – ECB T20
2 Somerset – Bromsgrove School – ECB T20
19 Herefordshire Development X1 – Brockhampton – 50F
25 King Edward’s School – King Edward’s School – 45F
30 Staffordshire – Alveley – ECB 50
JULY
4 Staffordshire 2nds – TBC – 50F
17 Cheshire 2nds – Elworth – 50F
23-25 Northamptonshire – Bromsgrove School – ECB CC
30 July -August 1 Wales – Abergavenny – ECB CC
AUGUST
6-8 Gloucestershire – Dumbleton – ECB CC
13-15 Somerset – TBC – ECB CC
27-29 Warwickshire – Barnt Green – ECB CC
