Latest Ability Cricket News
Visual Impairment Cricket
Indoor training sessions are underway at Wolverhampton University, City Sports Centre, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY. The next session will be on Sunday 11th February, 2-4pm and it runs fortnightly through until the end of March. Come along and give it a go!
Ability Cricket
Sessions are running fortnightly on Thursday evenings 5-6.30pm at King Edwards Leisure Centre, Lichfield; loads of fun, loads of cricket!
The Ability Cricket representative squad are training indoors at Newcastle College on Sunday mornings. The next session is Sunday 11th February 10-11am. The next indoor fixture is on Sunday 18th February v North Wales at Oswestry Leisure Centre, 2pm start.
Players Sarkib Din and Kieron McKinney are training with the ECB Lions Learning Disability squad at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, first weekend in every month. Players are asked to commit themselves to a challenging programme of cricket skills, strength and conditioning, nutrition and lifestyle advice and education over the period that they are in the programme.
Table Cricket
Thanks to a successful funding application to the Lords Taverners, we are coming up to the competition stage of the delivery programme with 20 special schools involved at Westcroft Special School, Wolverhampton and Watermill Special School, Stoke- week commencing 12th February.
Table Cricket can be adapted to suit varying levels of ability and impairment, and has benefits for both body and mind; people with physical disabilities can play cricket in a team just like their non-disabled peers, while those with challenging behaviour can learn to focus on tasks and work together in a group.
Playing Table Cricket helps to encourage improvement of:
- Physical development – coordination, motor controls, skills, and techniques
- Awareness, focus, perception, prediction, and observation abilities
- Personal development – confidence and self-esteem, responsibility, and adaptability
- Team work, cooperation, and communication skills
- Sporting friendships, peer respect, and creating links outside school
- Numeracy – learning to score and umpire
Table Cricket provides competitive opportunities for those who do not normally have access to them, helping to instil pride and team spirit, but most importantly of all, Table Cricket is great fun! Pictured below, Penn Hall Special School who represented Staffordshire at the 2017 Regional Finals at Edgbaston.
Walking Cricket
Walking Cricket gives the opportunity for people to play a format of the game that may be seen as more accessible than other current formats. As the name suggests the game is played at walking pace and as well as delivering cricketing skills to players who may not have played for a while, or for new players. The format provides an exciting way to keeping active and fit.
Aimed at people over the age of 50, the game also is able to provide an opportunity for people to socialise and get involved in a very interesting format of the game.
Walking Cricket sessions are running weekly on a Monday at the Excel Academy, Sneyd Green, Stoke on Trent, 6-7.30pm, and on a Wednesday at Alleynes Sports Centre, Stone, 5.30-7pm. Come along and get involved!
Contact:
Name: Steve Lightfoot
Job Title: Disability Cricket Officer
Tel: 07789 265618
Email: s.lightfoot@staffordshirecricket.co.uk