Cricketers at the University of Worcester have raised around £1,600 in memory of local cricketer Josh Baker.
Through a series of matches with his former school and clubs, the University’s men’s and women’s cricket teams raised funds for the JB33 Foundation, which supports local cricket clubs across Worcestershire.
Josh was at the start of his career when he passed away suddenly in 2024, just two weeks before his 21st birthday.
Archie Grimsey, Chair of the University’s Men’s Cricket Club, said: “During our first year, Josh came into one of our lectures to talk about the professional sport. He was also well known to quite a few of the students in our society and at the University through playing cricket in the county growing up.”
Students organised fixtures at Astwood Bank, Josh’s childhood club, as well as two T20 matches against his former school, Malvern College. Alongside their regular British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) fixtures, they also faced the Worcestershire Academy, a pathway Josh had progressed through.
Archie, who’s in the fourth year of his Cricket Coaching and Management integrated Master’s degree, said he’s particularly proud that the club have raised the money in a way which involved such a breadth of different people.
He said: “We’re really happy that this hasn’t just involved students at the University, it has involved the wider Worcestershire community, and the cricketing community as well. We brought a lot of people together under one banner for this cause.”
“It gave us the chance to let people know we still think about him,” said Archie. “It’s especially important to let his former clubs and school know this, as they offered him the opportunity to learn and play cricket.”
Holly Neal, Chair of Women’s Cricket at the University of Worcester, said: “I knew Josh personally, as we both trained at Astwood Bank Cricket Club. The day we spent at Astwood Bank was incredible, it was so great to see so many people enjoying the cricket in the sunshine and supporting the JB33 Foundation.”
“It feels fantastic to have raised so much money,” she continued. “Every time my phone pinged to notify me of another donation made me so happy, and it was great to see just how much the support meant to Josh’s parents as well.”
Third-year Cricket Coaching and Management student Holly added: “There’s already talk of us holding future events to keep Josh’s memory alive.”
To learn more about the University of Worcester’s Cricket Coaching and Management degree with Integrated Masters, visit the website.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk