School make history during National Table Cricket Finals Day at Lord's

South Wales Argus

3 days ago

Crieff flew down to London to take on 11 other schools at the Home of Cricket and while they didn't take home the trophy, they made memories for life playing at an iconic sporting venue.
The school only started playing the inclusive sport three months ago but have immediately taken to the sport and Cricket Scotland Disability Cricket Development Officer Connor Brian hopes their trip to London can act as a catalyst for the spread of the sport across the country.
'We have been pushing to try and get table cricket out to as many schools as we can with support from Lord's Taverners,' said Brian.
'We have had great work in Perthshire and Kinross, where Crieff are based, and they have really taken to the sport.
'They have been working at it for about three months and have really taken to it like a duck to water. They did really well at the national competition and have come down to represent Scotland.'
Table cricket is a fully inclusive, adapted version of the game aimed at young people living with a wide range of learning and physical disabilities played on a table tennis table.
Teams of six compete to avoid fielders and hit specific scoring zones while the ball is bowled using a ramp.
The Lord's Taverners runs its national competition each year, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools from across the country taking part.
The sport provides opportunities for participants to benefit from all that sport can offer, something Brian has seen first-hand.
'Team sport isn't something that always comes naturally, it can often be seen as something that involves a lot of running around which doesn't always suit people,' he added.
'Having table cricket as an option, getting the group together, learning how to work with your team-mates and having that competitive edge has been really important.
'You can see the confidence the kids have got, you can feel the boost in self-esteem which you get from sport.
'We want to grow it as much as possible. We want to run more locally, so we can have more festivals in different parts of the country and then come together for a national final. Hopefully this school are an inspiration for others.'
For the first time in the competition's history, National Finals Day took place as part of Disability Cricket Day, the biggest ever one-off showcase of disability cricket hosted by the MCC, ECB and Lord's Taverners which saw all formats of disability cricket on display from grassroots to elite level.
The day was brought to a close by the first ever international disability cricket fixture on the main ground at Lord's, the third of a seven-match Vitality IT20 Mixed disability series between England and India.
'I saw table cricket for the first time a few years ago now and coming to the final here at Lord's today, you are struck immediately by the competitiveness, the keenness and the camaraderie,' said Lord's Taverners President and former England batter David Gower.
'Everyone's spirits are high and it's fantastic to see people getting everything they want from the game, who, as we know, wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity. Events like this are hugely important.
'The players are all so good, and they are all having immense fun. The atmosphere is just vibrant, and I love being a figurehead for Tavs, especially on days like today.'
The Lord's Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality. The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities – visit www.lordstaverners.org