Children invited to play on outfield at first Street Cricket day

Over 100 children and families were guests at Sussex Cricket’s first Chance to Shine Street Cricket day at The 1st Central County Ground on the first day of this week’s Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan.

The children are all participants at the Chance to Shine Street Cricket programmes that are delivered across the county by Sussex Cricket Foundation. The sessions bring cricket to young people in urban areas and use the game to increase aspiration, promote social cohesion and create opportunities in diverse communities.

Street Cricket is fast-paced version of the game played with a tapeball - a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape - in small enclosed spaces. With six players per team and 20 balls per innings, it’s cricket’s answer to five-a-side football.

Just as these sessions are often participants’ first experience of playing cricket, their trip to The 1st Central County Ground was the first time they had been to a professional sporting event.

As well as enjoying the The 1st Central Sussex Cricket Foundation Roadshow and paying a visit to the Sussex Cricket Museum, the children were invited onto at the outfield during the lunch interval to play the games from their weekly sessions on the same turf as Sussex’s professional players.

A group from the session held at the Crew Club in Whitehawk were also interviewed live on air during BBC Sussex’s coverage of Sussex’s match.

Taking a break from coordinating the day, Gary Wallis Tayler, Sussex Cricket Foundation’s south area territory manager and Chance to Shine Lead said: “It was great to see so many families enjoy our Street Cricket Day.

“Many would not have had the opportunity to visit us before. The day gave opportunities for children to access live sport in a professional environment for the very first time which we hope would have inspired the next generation of cricketers.

“By playing on the outfield we have hopefully created a long-lasting memory for the children.”

A parent of one of the participants added: “Will had a fantastic day with his friends, collecting autographs and doing what he loves most – running around playing sport.”

Another, reflecting on the Chance to Shine Street Cricket programme as a whole, said: “Pablo really enjoys the Street Cricket and it’s inspiring him to join in with full cricket, too.”

Earlier in the year, Sussex's Jofra Archer & Danny Briggs dropped in at the Street Cricket project in Southwick 

Sussex Cricket Foundation runs six Street Cricket programmes across the county with funding from Chance to Shine, the national cricket charity that works in state schools and communities across England and Wales. These are located at The Crew Club (Whitehawk), Manor Gym (Whitehawk), Southwick Leisure Centre, The Y Centre (Hastings), Willingdon Trees Community Centre, K2 (Crawley) & Southfields Jubilee Centre (Littlehampton).

For more information on the session please visit https://sussexcricket.co.uk/chance-shine-street.