ARE YOU
AN A PLAYER?
We're searching for talented young cricketers with the potential, ambition and dedication to take their game further.
Lochinver House School · Potters Bar
NOT JUST ANOTHER
CRICKET ACADEMY.
Talented young cricketers deserve coaching that recognises their individuality. A Players Cricket brings together small groups, technical detail and a clear commitment to long-term development.
Potential first.
Selection through trial, looking beyond current runs and wickets to ability, coachability and love of the game.
Only ten players.
Focused coaching attention, meaningful feedback and individual development priorities.
Built for what comes next.
Technical foundations, athletic movement and game awareness for progression towards hard-ball cricket and future opportunities.
BEHIND THE ACADEMY
THE INSPIRATION BEHIND A PLAYERS
From their first experiences in the nets to growing confidence with the bat, Archie and Axel helped inspire the next stage of our coaching journey.
WATCH THE ORIGINAL CLIPS
Videos show the founder’s family coaching journey. Footage is shared with family permission.
BUILT BY A COACH.
INSPIRED BY A FATHER.
“I created A Players because I wanted talented young cricketers to have access to the specialist coaching I struggled to find for my own boys.”
I'm Anish Patel, an ECB Level 2 qualified cricket coach and a Sport and Exercise Science graduate of Loughborough University. As a father of two cricket-loving boys, I know how difficult it can be to find the right development environment as young players progress. Clubs are understandably focused on mass participation and county early performance pathways don’t start until Under-10 or Under-11.
My coaching journey began at 16, when I completed my ECB Level 1 qualification in 2001. I went on to coach Hertfordshire County Age Group teams from Under-12 to Under-15, before studying Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University. I completed my ECB Level 2 qualification in 2005, aged 19. I also grew up playing club cricket at Stanmore Cricket Club, Radlett Cricket Club and county age group cricket with Middlesex.
When my boys were three and four, I couldn't find the specialist coaching I wanted for them. That inspired me to launch Cricket tots South Hertfordshire, followed by a dedicated academy class a year later. Now that they're five and six and playing Under-9s cricket, I've recognised another gap: focused technical coaching for young players who are ready for the next challenge.
A Players Cricket is the next step — small-group coaching built around individual attention, sound technique, athletic movement, and a genuine love of the game.
Anish Patel Founder, A Players Cricket
FROM FIRST STEPS TO
FUTURE POTENTIAL.
Cricket tots
South Hertfordshire
Making age-appropriate cricket coaching accessible to younger children.
Cricket tots
South Hertfordshire Academy
Specialist development for talented young ball players ready for more
A Players
Cricket
A selective performance academy for the next stage of junior development.
SMALL SQUAD.
BIG AMBITION.
Selected players
One inaugural squad for children in school Years 3 and 4.
Minutes each week
Structured weekly sessions with purposeful coaching and individual focus.
January launch
Based at Lochinver House School in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
“We're not just looking for the children who are the best today. We're looking for those with the potential to become exceptional tomorrow.”
YOUR JOURNEY
STARTS HERE.
Register your interest for priority information about the inaugural Year 3 & 4 selection trials.
We're looking for young players who show ability, enthusiasm, coachability and a genuine love of cricket. Previous representative experience isn't required.
Joining the waitlist is free and does not guarantee an invitation to trial or an academy place. The programme is independent and is not presented as an official county pathway.
JOIN THE WAITLIST
Parent or guardian registrations only.