Beckfoot School in Yorkshire won their first ever national table cricket title at Lord’s in an exciting celebration of inclusivity hosted by the Lord’s Taverners charity at the Home of Cricket.
The national final saw its first ever Roses clash, with Sandfield Park School (Lancashire) and Beckfoot School (Yorkshire) contesting the final. It was an exciting match which saw fantastic skill and teamwork from both sides, but it was the white rose that ended up on the winning side of the local derby.
The Bradford school were one of 12 sides competing for the title in the Nursery Pavilion at the iconic Home of Cricket and their triumph ensured they took the final step in improving on last year’s runners-up finish.
Teaching assistant Viv Macdonald said the success will live long in the memory: “It’s been fantastic,” she said. “We arrived late so the players started playing in a little bit of a haphazard manner so we thought we wouldn’t do it, but we did it, we smashed it, the students love it, and we are euphoric.
“This is the cream on the top, last year we came a very close second. This is our fourth time here so it’s fourth time lucky!
“A few of these students get a little bit shy in front of an audience and in front of their peers at assembly. This has given them a lot of confidence and it’ll take them on through life.
“Table cricket has taught them how to perform as a team, be a team leader, share and it’s just wonderful how it’s given them confidence to be out in public.”
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 these young people 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.
Watching on at Lord’s were England cricketers Jack Leach, Anya Shrubsole, Jonny Gale and Alfie Pyle (Sussex Super 1s Coach who is also a former Super 1s participant), with Leach and Shrubsole being introduced to the adapted version of the game for the first time.
Leach said: “It’s a pleasure to come down and see everyone enjoying the game. It’s a great game, I had a little go and it’s quite difficult. I enjoyed seeing how competitive everyone is. It’s the national finals, it’s great for kids to be able to come here to the home of cricket to play.
“It’s everyone’s dream as a kid to play at Lord’s and for them to be able to do that is very special. We want the game to be accessible to everyone. The great work that Lord’s Taverners and the ECB have done to fund this and make it accessible is really special. Everyone deserves that chance, and it is great to see them making the most of it.”
Finals day was a culmination of six months’ worth of county and regional competitions, with the regional stage of the tournament seeing some table cricket played at international cricket grounds such as Edgbaston and Headingley.
Much of the Lord’s Taverners work in cricket for young people with a disability 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.
For more information about table cricket, please visit www.lordstaverners.org
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.