Groups from Welwyn/Hatfield, Stevenage and Hitchin enjoy a day at WGC Cricket Club.....
Welwyn Garden City Cricket Club's annual cricket week became the platform for some of the disability community groups that Herts Cricket have been working with, to show their talents.
With groups from Welwyn/Hatfield, Stevenage and Hitchin taking part in some adaptive Kwik cricket and table cricket, a great time was had by all participants.
Each community group were supplied with a coloured t-shirt, sponsored by Dart Kings Promotions, to represent their specific group and a three way round robin of adaptive cricket was played in the sunshine.
Of the three teams not playing at any one time, they were introduced to table top cricket, a game that is played on a table tennis sized table and developed by the Lords Taverners.
Table cricket was specifically designed for people with high needs however, it has become popular within the disabled community and is now played by a number of different groups.
The pictures below show some of the action that took place during the day.
All service users enjoyed the comfort of the cricket club's lounge for their lunch and also enjoyed a never ending flow of tea and coffee
Huge concentration on faces as the ball is pushed towards the scoring zone!
Disability cricket in Hertfordshire is on the rise with more and more groups taking up the offer. Herts Cricket are really keen to reach out into the community to deliver cricket sessions all year round.
The work that has been taking place over the last two years in cricket delivery has started to show some real benefits for the service users with day care centres reporting positive things around social interaction, health and wellbeing.
Those people taking part in the programmes are also improving their cricket skills too. In fact last year two players from the Stevenage Day Care service were picked to represent Hertfordshire in their county softball team in a national competition.
If you are reading this and feel that you have someone h=who may benefit from attending our disability cricket sessions, please let us know, alternatively, if you have contact with any disabled community group who may be interested in having some sessions, again, please let us know via the contact details below.
A quick single taken as the fielders decide who is going to retrieve the ball
Herts cricket are now working in a number of day care centres around the county as well as SEN and mainstream schools via the Chance to Shine Scheme.
Extracurricular clubs are being developed as well as inter school leagues and community group leagues too.
Cricket is delivered in a number of differing formats to suit the groups who play, such as Kwik cricket, indoor adaptive cricket, table cricket and wheelchair cricket. It is also played with varying equipment that is relevant to the group.
Please contact: Richard Hill - Herts Cricket Disability Cricket Manager on 07818 431144 or via email at richard.hill@ecb.co.uk