Wirral Grammar secure National Table Cricket title on Disability Cricket Day at Lord’s

Wirral Grammar went unbeaten throughout the day, winning all five of their group game before defeating a very strong Newton Abbot (Devon) team in the final by 43 runs to run out deserved winners. The Cheshire based school were presented with their trophy by England fast bowler, Reece Topley and charity President David Gower to complete a memorable day.

The 12 schools in attendance had already battled their way through local and regional qualifiers to earn a trip to London and play in the prestigious National Table Cricket Finals Day at the home of cricket.

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. Many young people with a disability have limited opportunities to participate in sport, but table cricket provides an incredible opportunity for them to make new friends and develop life skills such as confidence and independence, while also helping them understand the importance of leadership and teamwork in competitive environments.

Teams of six compete to avoid fielders and hit specific scoring zones while the ball is bowled using a ramp. We run this national competition each year, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools from across the country taking part.

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.

Much of our work in cricket for young people with disabilities is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by the Postcode Active Trust, in addition to support from the ECB and Sport England.

Lord’s Taverners CEO, Mark Curtin, said: “Disability Cricket Day was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the progress being made in making the game more inclusive.

“There has never been more opportunity for young people with a disability to access the sport and benefit from all the personal development opportunities it brings. But there is still so much more we can do, which is why days like this to raise awareness of all the different opportunities there are to get involved in the sport from grassroots to elite level are so important.

“It was fantastic to have our National Table Cricket Finals and all the young people involved in our activity at the home of cricket included as part of this special occasion. We hope it inspires all of our participants to keep playing, and even more young people with a disability to take the game up in the future.”

Congratulations to all the schools who won their county and regional finals to qualify for finals day:

• The High School Leckhampton (Gloucestershire)
• Ralph Thoresby School (Yorkshire)
• William Howard (Cumbria)
• Wirral Grammar (Cheshire)
• Newton Abbot College (Devon)
• Heath Farm School (Kent)
• Chiltern Academy (Bedfordshire)
• Suffolk One (East Anglia)
• Ambergate College (Lincolnshire)
• Woodlands School (South Wales)
• Crieff High School (Scotland)
• The Angmering School (Sussex)