New Walking Cricket Group gets underway in Storrington

Storrington village welcomed its very first Walking Cricket session last week, as eight enthusiastic participants gathered at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre to take part in the new initiative.

The session, which was delivered in partnership between Chanctonbury Leisure Centre and Sussex Cricket Foundation, proved to be a great success.

Walking Cricket is a slower-paced, inclusive version of the traditional game, designed to keep people active and connected. The sport follows adapted indoor cricket rules, where runs are scored by hitting the ball against the walls and walking between the creases. To accommodate the walking format, the non-striking batter has a separate crease, positioned around two-thirds of the length of a regular wicket, ensuring the game remains enjoyable and achievable for all. 

Lara Johnson, Cricket Development Officer, Sussex Cricket Foundation said: “Our first session was a lot of fun, what really struck me was the incredible sense of community. Eight players turned up, which included a complete mixture of experience levels, genders, members and non-members. Some were learning about the game from scratch, with no prior knowledge of the rules or how a game works; that's a testament to the safe space that the team at CLC have created. It’s great to be involved with this project and I have high hopes for the positive impact this project will have on people’s lives.”

Andi Dunstan, Operations Director, Chanctonbury Leisure Centre said: “It was great to see the first session met with such enthusiasm from the participants and having support from SCF has been invaluable. It’s clear that this is going to be a popular session moving forwards and we are looking forward to welcoming lots of new players over the next few weeks. All the sessions are free for October so now is the perfect time to give it a go!” 

With its combination of gentle physical activity, social interaction and the joy of cricket, Walking Cricket looks set to become a valued addition to CLC's calendar, which already includes other, popular walking sports.

Walking Cricket sessions take place every Thursday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and are free throughout October; after which they will remain free for members and cost £6 per session for non-members.

For details of all Walking Cricket clubs in Sussex please visit our dedicated website page here.