A CRICKET coach is hoping for more success following a link-up with a new academy.

Ingram Jones, a coach at Little Marlow Cricket Club, has helped set up the new academy at Booker Hill Primary School – one of two he is now involved with.

The academy team went up against a side from Carrington School in Flackwell Heath last week.

Funding for the project has come from the Buckinghamshire County Council Extended Schools Partnership, which Mr Jones said was a “fantastic project”.

Little Marlow Cricket Club is already celebrating a triple success this season after three of their age group teams won promotion.

The under-12s won their division and the under-13s and under-14s were runners-up – with the under-14s missing out on the title by just 0.2 on run rate.

One player, Zain Gill, has just been called up to the county squad.

Mr Jones – who fought back from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to set up the academy – said: “It's been very popular. We've been promoted into the top league and that's because we've had kids come along from various other places. They are enjoying themselves and we've had 20 kids join us thanks to the partnership.

“Some of the guys are being fed into Little Marlow Cricket Club and are playing hard ball cricket already.

“They [the academy team] played on Monday night just gone against Little Marlow and lost by 20 runs, but most of the kids were seven or eight years old and were playing against secondary school kids so to lose by 20 runs is pretty impressive.”

Following the success of Little Marlow Cricket Club and the new academy, Mr Jones was contacted by cricketers in Gravesend, Kent, to help them set up an academy of their own.

Mr Jones was contacted after the Kent club saw a piece of the Booker academy on TV earlier this year.

Meanwhile, a week-long course run by Mr Jones takes places at Stoke Green Cricket Club in Stoke Poges from August 23-27 from 9am-3pm each day.

It is open to boys and girls aged nine and over, with discounts for members of the Stoke Green and Little Marlow clubs. For more details contact Sukh Dhillon on 07886 666923.