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ACE Academy take on Glos U18s in memorable matchday at Seat Unique Stadium

21 August 2024

Gloucestershire u18s and the African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) Academy played out a memorable 40-over match at the Seat Unique Stadium in a celebration of the pathways' continued collaboration.

Batting first, Gloucestershire u18s set an impressive first innings score of 256/6 off 40 overs for the chasing ACE Academy who, needing 257 for victory, achieved their target in impressive fashion with two overs remaining and three wickets in hand.

The matchday represented another example of Gloucestershire's relationship with ACE having gone from strength to strength in recent years. First launched by Surrey in January 2020 in response to a decline of black British professional players by 75% in recent years, the ACE Programme partnered with Gloucestershire Cricket and the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation (GCF) in September 2021, in a bid to provide talent pathways for young black players in the Bristol area.

Dedicated fixtures have been held at Gloucestershire Cricket in each of the last three years in celebration of all that ACE has achieved since arriving in Bristol almost three years ago.

Only last year it was revealed that nine young players who were identified and developed by Bristol’s ACE Academy were selected for County Age Group Programmes in the South West of England. Six of the successful players were inducted into Gloucestershire’s Talent Pathway while one was selected for Somerset’s Pathway and two for Wiltshire’s. The big break for the cohort of young talent came after 12 monhts taking part in skills-based coaching programmes at ACE Academy sessions in Bristol.

Since launching in Bristol and led by ACE Bristol Development Officer, Theo Gordon, the programme has delivered regular coaching sessions in urban areas of the city in the hope of unearthing talented youngsters from African and Caribbean backgrounds.

Speaking about the opportunity to play at Gloucestershire Cricket, Theo Gordon, ACE Development Officer Bristol, said: "Playing at the Seat Unique Stadium is a memorable experience for the players in the programme as the stadium is regarded as the heart of cricket in the county. This opportunity is something they will cherish for a lifetime. Such opportunities wouldn't be possible without the strong partnership between ACE, GCF, and the Club, which provides these unique experiences to all players in the programme."

Neil Priscott, Interim CEO at Gloucestershire Cricket, added: "It's always a privilege to host the incredibly talented ACE Academy players at the Seat Unique Stadium and provide them with what hopefully was an unfortgettable experience. We as a Club are huge supporters and advocates of the ACE Programme's work within the city of Bristol and wider Gloucestershire area and I'm thrilled to see ACE continuing to flourish."

ACE Academy sessions are held every Saturday evening between 6:30pm and 9:30pm at the Seat Unique Stadium, Nevil Road, Bristol. For more information, please contact Theo Gordon at theo@aceprogramme.com

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