Stephen Franklin Wins Inaugural MCC Foundation Award

Leicestershire CCC Women’s Head Coach Stephen Franklin has become the first ever recipient of the MCC Foundation’s ‘Hub Manager of the Year’ award.

Franklin received the honour from former MCC President and current MCCF Chair Phillip Hodson during last Thursday’s (22 June) awards ceremony at the historic Harris Garden at Lord’s, bestowed for his outstanding work running Leicester’s MCC Foundation hubs this spring.

The MCCF hubs aim to open up access to formal talent pathways, encouraging every young cricketer to reach their full potential in the game, regardless of race, gender, or economic circumstance.

The ten-week programme, which provided free-to-access training and match play to 3,000 state-educated cricketers, ran at Crown Hills Community College from February to May, with Leicester’s venue seeing an unprecedented number of applicants.

As the lead of one of the MCC’s 76 hubs, Franklin oversaw the coordination and logistics of the Leicester programme, before coaching three hubs set for under 14 boys, under 16 boys and under 16 girls.

Following ten weeks of all-encompassing batting, bowling and fielding sessions, both under 16 sides competed in fixtures against Nottingham, with the boys’ team progressing to the second round against Coventry.

Discussing the inaugural award, Franklin said: “I was very shocked but honoured to pick up such a prestigious award. I owe a huge thanks to all the coaches who worked tirelessly to deliver such a fantastic programme.

“These hubs are vital in offering opportunities for local children who struggle to access cricket in Leicester, and we were overwhelmed with both the demand for, and positivity about, our sessions.

“The success we’ve witnessed this year has presented us with the opportunity to host a second hub in Leicester next year and we’re incredibly excited by the future plans.”

To find out more information about Leicester’s 2024 hubs, please email stephen@leicestershireccc.co.uk, or to learn more about the MCC Foundation hubs, please click HERE.