The Cricket Mentoring Podcast · Cricket Mentoring

The Cricket Kid - Social Media Starboy

·53 min·3 clips

Jackson's catch on the cradle reached 16.8 million views and spread in Pakistan or India.

Jackson and Nick Bentley join the Cricket Mentoring Podcast from the Cricket District Boys' studio after a morning filming at Sussex County Cricket Club. The chat starts with the origin of Cricket Kids. Jackson says it began when he was watching a lot of YouTube and wanted to make something similar himself. That idea took shape during lockdown, when the pair were building a net in the garage and using the garden for cricket work. Nick explains that there was not really a platform for that kind of cricket content at the time, so they had to build their own. The early period was mostly experiment and guesswork. They would come up with an idea, then figure out how to film it. Some of the tools were improvised, including fly swats and pool noodles, but the point was always to keep it fun. The episode treats that creativity as part of how they approached the cricket. It also shows how much the wider cricket content world has grown since then. Nick sees that growth as a positive because it has lifted the game and may make players better. From there, the conversation turns to Jackson's batting work with JT over the winter. Shot selection is the main technical theme. Jackson talks about previous seasons where he would play shots at the wrong time and rarely defend. The adjustment has been to be calmer and leave more balls alone. He says the bowler is allowed to bowl a good one, and that respect for the ball has become part of his approach. The discussion stays grounded in practical development rather than big declarations. There is also a family line running through the story, with the emphasis on making cricket fun and interesting coming through clearly. The closing stretch returns to the value of cricket staying enjoyable for young players. The episode finishes as an encouraging look at growth, craft, and the long run of a promising young cricketer.

As heard by us

A lockdown cricket idea turns into a warm, practical conversation about shot selection, respect, and making the game fun.

Jackson and Nick Bentley revisit how Cricket Kids began as Jackson's lockdown idea, shaped by long hours on YouTube and a fair amount of trial and error at home.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a junior-cricket origin story that turns backyard tinkering into useful batting lessons.

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