ACE Programme Founder Optimistic About Future of Black Representation in English Cricket

Ebony Rainford-Brent, founder and chair of the ACE Programme, is optimistic that English cricket now better understands the needs and challenges of Britain's Black communities, a year after the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report highlighted the sport's structural inequalities.

At the launch of the new strategy, 'Road to Representation,' aimed at bringing ten cricketers through the programme into the professional game by 2030, Rainford-Brent noted the significant progress in cricket's approach to race since the ACE programme was founded in response to a 75 percent decline in Black British professional players.

Rainford-Brent said, "I've gone from feeling hopeless five years ago about inclusivity issues in cricket, to being very hopeful now. We've recognised the problem and are implementing initiatives across the game in response to the ICEC report. However, it will take a decade of dedicated work to fully transform the game."

The ACE Programme, which stands for African Caribbean Engagement, was launched at The Oval in January 2020 and has since expanded to hubs in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. The programme has engaged 26,000 young players, with 200 identified as having 'elite potential.' Earlier this year, ACE was named one of three target charities to share £14 million of government investment to improve access to cricket in state schools over the next five years.

Later this summer, ACE will announce the recipients of its new Rookie Contracts, which provide fully-funded opportunities for two young players (one male and one female) to develop their careers at first-class counties. With 21% of ACE Academy players now entering county pathways, Rainford-Brent is confident that the goal of having ten professional players by 2030 is achievable.

"The reality is it's a big, ambitious challenge, but that's what we've been about with ACE over the past five years," she said. "We're seeing one in five of our talented youngsters make it into the talent pathway at junior counties, many of whom were previously not engaged with cricket or lacked support. If we continue at this rate, we believe it's possible to achieve our goal."

The new strategy also focuses on accelerating female participation in ACE, aiming for a 50-50 gender split by 2030. To achieve this, ACE has launched 'Blaze Her Trail,' a scheme targeting girls who have achieved elite success in other sports, particularly athletics.

Rainford-Brent explained, "We realised the development rate in the women's game is slower and that we wouldn't reach our representation goals through traditional means. Inspired by acceleration programmes in sports like bobsleigh and rowing, we've identified female sprinters from our target demographics to convert into fast bowlers."

She recalled an encounter with Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis as part of the inspiration for this initiative. "Denise was someone I idolised growing up, and though she had never played cricket, her javelin background meant she knew how to get into position. We don't know how it will pan out, but many in the talent pathway share the theory that this could work. If successful, we'll have another conversion pipeline in the coming years."