Meet the heroes that keep Sussex’s scores of cricket clubs thriving

The Cricket Collective is the phrase coined by the ECB to refer to those volunteers who give so much to the game, to make cricket happen. From scorers to coaches, chairpeople and administrators, everyone who has a hand in developing and growing the game is part of The Cricket Collective and the Sussex volunteers have been honoured.

Individuals and clubs are nominated for these awards and the SCF team and trustees select a winner for each category, from the vast array of inspirational stories that they read.

Among the winners were Emily Lovelock from Aldwick CC, who at just 14 years of age picked up the Rising Star Award. She has coached the juniors, captained the women’s team and fostered the link between her school and the club.

Andy Clarke of Zambuca Tigers CC picked up the coveted Unsung Hero gong, for his incredible behind the scenes contribution to keeping his friendly cricket club thriving.

A new category for 2024, The Metro Bank Champion of Women & Girls’ Cricket, honours an individual who has gone above and beyond to grow the game for females and this was presented to Anna Davies from Chichester Priory Park CC, for her efforts over the last two seasons starting girls cricket and now having 70 girls.

The Lifetime Achiever category nominees really sum up the value of our volunteers, with over 300 years of combined service to their clubs and local community between them:

Rob Wilkinson – Halisham CC

Matt Charman – Burgess Hill CC

Raj Cherodian – Ifield CC

Paul Challen – Clymping CC

Paul Wilkins – Pathfinder CC

Phil Oliver – Slinfold CC

Jerry White – Chippingdale CC

Liz Ward – Bognor Regis CC

Steve Lockwood – Walberton CC

The winner, Raj Cherodian from Ifield CC, has been the heartbeat of the development of his club for well over 30 years, holding every role in that time, developing junior cricket, senior cricket, the club facilities & more recently, women & girls teams, all while maintaining the ground for the club, coaching and building and maintaining links with the local schools. The impact and legacy of the people on the list above, in the game of cricket and in Sussex, will live on for many decades to come.

Carl Tupper, Territory Manager and lead on Volunteering for the SCF commented: “We are indebted to the thousands of volunteers in Sussex for continually growing the game.

"The number of teams in Sussex is up, the number of women and girls playing and volunteering is at an all-time high and the number of juniors playing the game is up too – this is all thanks to the hard work of the volunteers who give their time to share their passion for the game.

"Our list of our winners is outstanding. It’s always a pleasure to see new names being nominated each year and we thank everyone for their contribution to cricket in Sussex.”

We now wait to see if any of the outstanding Sussex winners receive National honours from the ECB.

A full list of Sussex's 2024 Cricket Collective Award winners is below.

Young Coach of the Year: A young person who is already passing on their enthusiasm for the game and inspiring the next generation of players (16-25yrs old). Alex Watkins – Worthing CC

Coach of the Year: Awarded to a coach who goes the extra mile and is a true coaching hero to their club or school. Jake Ralph – Little Common Ramblers CC

Outstanding Contribution to Coaching: Awarded to the person who is the life and soul at your club, coaching and making a difference to players. Peter Klein – Wisborough Green CC

Connecting Communities: A club or community organisation which has gone above and beyond to raise the game and support their local community. Hailsham CC

Safe Hands Award: An individual that has gone above and beyond to create a positive and inclusive environment for young people to enjoy the game. Vicky Neary – Edenbridge CC

Cricket Innovators: Someone who has bought new ideas and/or implemented new systems to improve the club or community group. Duncan Purvis – East Dean & Friston CC

Game Changer: A young volunteer making a difference in the game (for 17-25 year olds). Dominic Kaye – Worthing CC

Growing the Game: A volunteer going above and beyond to support their club and help increase the number of games being played. Russ Mould – St Peter’s CC

Grounds Management Team of the Year: An opportunity to reward and recognise those volunteers who are working hard and improving the places where the game is played. 3rd XI Grounds Team – Herstmonceux CC

Inspired to Play: An individual or group within the club or organisation going above and beyond to raise the game and open the game up to new audiences. Karen Ratcliff – Haywards Heath CC

Rising Star: A young volunteer making a difference in the game (for 11-16 year olds). Emily Lovelock – Aldwick CC

The Metro Bank Champion of Girls Cricket: A volunteer, coach or role model who has championed growing girls cricket at their club. Anna Davies – Chichester Priory Park CC

Unsung Hero: Those heroes who impact our game from behind the scenes and help us make cricket happen. Andy Clarke – Zambuca Tigers CC

Lifetime Achiever: The one individual who has given many years of service to your club or community, who you could not do without. Raj Cherodian – Ifield CC