Cricket

Cricket's Minor Counties are set to rebrand as the National Counties Cricket Association after 124 years.

The name change, which will come into effect next year, was among a series of changes to the second tier of the county game approved by the ECB Board.

The decision will now need to be rubber-stamped at the Minor Counties’ next meeting.

Global athletic footwear and apparel brand New Balance introduced baseball star and brand ambassador Francisco Lindor to the home of cricket at Lord’s with ex-England and Kent cricket player Rob Key. The sportsmen exchanged insight and technique before taking to the nets alongside Glamorgan cricketer Billy Root.

More than 6,000 people have been interviewed for volunteer roles at this summer’s ICC Cricket World Cup, following a record response to an international cricket recruitment drive.

Event workforce platform Rosterfy has been used to help deliver the 4,000 volunteers needed to support the event, which begins at The Kia Oval in May.

Surrey County Cricket Club Commercial Director Charlie Hodgson has been unveiled as the new Managing Director of The Oval.

Hodgson has held the role of Commercial Director at the 2018 County Championship winners for the past seven years.

His connection with the club now spans over 25 years, first as a player in the Surrey age group system before joining the commercial department in 2005.

Former England International cricketer Ashley Giles has been appointed ECB’s Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket.

Giles, currently Sport Director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, rejoins the England set-up four and half years after he was dismissed as coach of the one-day team.

The 45-year-old replaces his former teammate Andrew Strauss, who stepped down from the role in October and will officially start in January ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean.

The ECB Board has signed off on a new five-year strategy designed to support the future of domestic cricket in England and Wales.

In particular, Board members endorsed and approved next steps related to the proposed new short-form domestic competition, due to be introduced from 2020.

Plans for the 100-ball eight-team event were unveiled earlier this year, as part of efforts to attract new, younger audiences to the game.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed it has officially submitted a bid for women’s cricket to be included in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022.

The efforts made in conjunction with the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could now see cricket return to the Commonwealth stage for the first time since its only appearance to-date in 1998, when South Africa took the men’s title in Kuala Lumpur.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has launched a podcast to support cricketers with the transition into retirement.

The pilot recording was put together at the annual conference, with the support of podcast broadcast agency markettiers.

The PCA were able to call upon the experiences and personal stories of a cross section of players attending its two-day PCA Transition Conference at St George’s Park, including those recently retired, as well as released cricketers and current players involved in the game.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a £1.2million funding boost to recruit 2,000 South Asian female mentors to help develop the next generation of women cricketers.

Earlier this year, the ECB outlined ambitious plans in its South Asian Action Plan, to expand the female coaching network and transform the way cricket engages with British South Asian communities.

The capacity of the Kia Oval is set to grow to 28,000 after Surrey County Cricket Club was awarded full planning permission for the redevelopment of the Lock Laker Stand.

The project will see a new three-tier stand built in between the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion and the Peter May Stand.

Adjacent buildings forming part of a new “One Oval Square” development will also deliver new facilities – including two additional roof terraces – for matchday activations, conferences, events and hospitality.