ONE of the country's best cricketers was guest of honour at the opening of a centre designed to nurture many more like her.

The Sir Rod Aldridge Cricket Centre at BACA school offers sixth form students academic qualifications alongside professional cricket development.

Former England captain Charlotte Edwards opened the centre alongside Sir Rod.

She was the first player, male or female, to score 2,500 runs in T20 internationals, and led England 220 times.

The centre will be home to the Aldridge Cricket Academy (ACA), a partnership between Brighton and Portslade Aldridge Community academies and Sussex County Cricket Club.

Designed to be a hub for cricket in Brighton, it includes three lanes of indoor cricket nets, a gym and physiotherapy room, and will open to local students.

It will also be a base for Sussex women’s and girl’s cricket as well as a satellite for the Sussex Cricket Academy and for Sussex’s emerging players programme.

Jim May, Sussex Cricket chairman, said: “I’m absolutely delighted by the progress of the Aldridge Cricket Academy and with the development of this cricket centre. It’s a significant investment which will bring great benefits to the academies’ students and to the whole of Sussex cricket.”

Sir Rod said: “This facility is a wonderful asset for BACA and PACA, and for the development of young cricketers in Sussex as a whole.

"The Aldridge Cricket Academy is all about giving local students, both boys and girls, the same kinds of opportunities that students in fee paying schools generally have, which are rare for players attending state schools.”

Visit aldridgecricketacademy.com for more information.