The Kia Oval saw a landmark day for Surrey’s State School Academic Cricket Scholars (SACS) as a record-breaking number of students joined the programme in the 2026/27 school year.
A group of over 100 newly inducted SACS scholars was invited onto the pitch during the lunch break on the first day of Surrey’s County Championship clash against Glamorgan, taking in a warm round of applause from the supporters in the ground.
The SACS programme, which was launched in 2023 with three partner schools, has continued to grow with each passing year. It now works with 12 state schools across Surrey and south London and has nearly 200 scholars enrolled in the programme across Year 12 and 13 this year.
The programme offers young people access to high-quality cricket coaching, strength and conditioning training, and competitive match experience while they complete their sixth-form academic studies. Through a combination of top-tier training and match practice, several scholars even got the chance to train with Surrey’s age-group Elite Performance Groups or play in the Club’s representative teams.
Alongside on-field training, the initiative also supports students in learning more about cricket as a business by offering a host of employability workshops and certified courses. Such a curriculum provides them with opportunities to acquire vocational and life skills in the areas of hospitality, coaching, media, finance, marketing, groundskeeping, and more.
Furthermore, the exposure to different aspects of the game continues to expand in the programme, with a cohort of scholars going on cricket tours within and outside the country this summer. Over 60 students went on SACS’ first-ever cricket tour to Oakham School and also experienced a Vitality Blast match day at Leicestershire CCC.
This was followed by a group of 50 going overseas to play a cricket tournament against Cricket Netherlands at the VRA Stadium, where the SACS team emerged victorious. A squad of 15 girls and 15 boys will also be visiting St Vincent, West Indies, to compete in the Global Series T20 Tournament this February.
Steve Elworthy, CEO at Surrey CCC, said: “The SACS programme is playing an important role in broadening the reach and access to cricket across state schools in Surrey and south London. It is a fantastic achievement for the programme to welcome more scholars than ever, which was celebrated fittingly in front of Members and supporters at the Kia Oval.
“The Club is committed to building what has already become an impactful initiative, and wants to see many more milestone moments like this in the future.”
Judy Stewart, Sixth Form Programme Lead at Surrey CCC, adds: “It has been overwhelming to see the SACS programme go from strength to strength with each passing year. The team has been working incredibly hard to ensure that the scholars make the most of this programme alongside their studies and gain every opportunity that the programme offers.
“Our aim is to help our state school scholars immerse themselves in cricket, hone their skills, and open avenues for them to pursue their interests in various aspects of the business of cricket. The reception from scholars across our schools has been truly inspiring and is a testament to the efforts that our team and the wider Club are putting in the programme.
“Each state school has benefited enormously from hosting the SACS programme. The scholars have helped to embed cricket as a sport into the schools, assisting with coaching the younger year groups and training the U15 teams to compete in the ECB Knight Stokes Trophy.”
Applications for the 2027/28 intake next September are now open, with trials upcoming in October half-term. Apply today by clicking here.
To learn more about the programme, visit here.
