Disability Cricket

The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation is committed to include people with disabilities in the game of cricket as players, officials, coaches and administrators. Disabled cricket includes blind people and visually impaired, deaf people and the hearing impaired, people with physical disability and people with learning disability.

The YCB and Federation of Disability Sports Organisations (Yorkshire) formed a disability cricket forum whose role is to:

• Increase disability awareness
• Increase participation and opportunity for people with disabilities in the game
• Establish a forum for an exchange of ideas

Throughout 2009-10 a great number of development programmes have been put in place to include all aspects of Disability Cricket.

Results

The Yorkshire Cricket Board was awarded the Federation of Disability Sports Organisation’s National Governing Body Award at the Federations’ Annual Awards night in March 2010, in recognition of the Board’s work in disability sport.

Working closely with the FDSO and other partners, the Yorkshire Cricket Board has written a fully inclusive development strategy whilst formalising a Disability Sub-Committee and has set up three Task Forces to enhance the delivery of inclusive cricket throughout Yorkshire and The Humber.

In 2008-09, YCB staff have been involved in 65 special needs school visits, delivering adapted cricket and ‘kwik cricket’. In addition, they have delivered 17 festivals involving 47 schools and 436 children. 2009-10 saw an increase to 54 schools participating in 11 festivals involving 786 children.

Through the Disability Sub-Committee, the YCB has worked alongside the FDSO and partners for School Sports Partnerships and Partnership Development Managers to roll out the new structure across the county, culminating in county and regional finals competitions and this successful model has now been replicated elsewhere.

Three time winners of this award, the YCB have also worked alongside FDSO’s Sporting Voices empowerment programme, giving disabled youngsters an opportunity to experience ‘A Day in the Life of Yorkshire CC’ and gain experience working at International Test Matches.

Physical & Learning

The two County Physical & Learning sides have continued to progress well in 2010, playing hard and soft ball cricket. The soft ball development side won the county group.

Deaf Cricket

Deaf Cricket continues to allow players to be included at mainstream levels. There are plans to try and develop a regional or district team.

Visually Impaired Cricket

The VICC was formed in late 2008 and attracted 20 players by the start of the 2009 Season. The club receives regular coaching and plays friendly fixtures throughout the season. In 2009 they won all matches and rounded off the season by winning the long running annual Warwickshire tournament against some well established VI cricket clubs.

The squad continued to grow and the decision was made to join the national league and cup competitions in 2010, a year ahead of schedule. The VICC played their first competitive match against Warwickshire at Leamington Spa in May. They lost this first game but went on to win three, draw one and lose three games to finish with a credible 86 points in their first season.

On Tuesday 27^th April, the VICC performed an on-pitch demonstration of VI cricket at the LV=CC Yorkshire v Durham match on the outfield at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground during the lunch break. The team were assisted by Young Leaders attending A Day in the Life of Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground. 

With so many players showing an interest in playing, plans for the future include regional clubs in the four areas of the county, with the better players feeding into the main squad. The coaching sessions will start at these clubs later this year and it is hoped that a Yorkshire league and cup competition will be run for the first time in 2011.

Six of the squad gained ECB level 1 coaching qualifications in April and the plan is to put these players through the level 2 course during the winter.

For more information, to volunteer or to sponsor the Yorkshire VICC, please contact John Garbett on 07833 592538 or email garbett.j@sky.com

Table Cricket

Six schools took part in the Table Cricket National Regional Tournament held at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground on 21st April with representatives from Leeds, York and Bradford.

The competition, which has been running for 12 years, has seen a number of different schools from the county visit Lord’s for the final which was held on 15^th June this year. The criteria enables children with severe physical and learning disability to be involved in a competitive form of the game along with a feeling of excitement and achievement as they hit sixes and take wickets.

The ECB and Lord’s Taverners coordinate the national competition which takes place in six national regions. Through a volunteers link programme with BT, the event has seen a number of personnel from within BT help coordinate each event this year.

“We are absolutely delighted and honoured to receive the FDSO award. It is testament to the work done by the development staff, the Disability Sub-Committee and the Task Forces; without them the Yorkshire Disability Cricket wouldn’t be where it is today. The award is for them and this is just the beginning of something very special.”

Andrew Watson, Director of Development, Yorkshire Cricket Board