Named Schools Coach of the Year at the 2024 Chance to Shine Awards, Owen Batchelor has an intriguing background you likely won’t know. We catch up on Zoom; a rare moment of quiet for a teacher who has taken his love of cricket and channelled it into inspiring kids across Scarborough & Ryedale. Owen is […]
Schools cricket
How Flicx have supported schools cricket at Trinity Academy Leeds
Rob Withers is a PE teacher at Trinity Academy Leeds and a driving force behind cricket at the school. An all-rounder who moved back to Ben Rhydding Cricket Club from Methley this season, he talks to me about the impact of the 2G Flicx pitch that has enabled more cricket and better practice. Trinity Academy […]
Going back to school: A fun lesson in playing Table Cricket
Table Cricket is an adapted form of the game for children with disabilities, played in schools across the UK on a table tennis table. It’s been on my radar for a while to learn more about this inclusive game of strategy – and where better than the 2023 Yorkshire Champions: Beckfoot School in Bingley? So, […]
National programmes: Yorkshire’s efforts to grow the game in schools
Gareth Davis, Head of Region for South Yorkshire at the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) talked me through some of the development work being done in schools. The ECB’s national programmes of All Stars and Dynamos; those eight weeks of cricket sessions at clubs for young children, have been the remarkable catalyst for a new generation […]
Looking ahead to 2024: A Year of equity and environment
I thought I’d talk you through some trends that are likely to unfold in grassroots cricket over 2024. A bit of crystal ball gazing combined with analysis of news from the ECB and my own observations. It is very in-depth so I’ve got these headings, if you want to jump to the relevant section. 🏏 […]
Schools cricket competitions return across Yorkshire
Schools cricket in Yorkshire is continually a hot topic and it made perfect sense to share, with help from the Yorkshire Cricket Board, what has happened over the last school year. The 2021/2022 academic year has finally seen the return of the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s schools cricket competitions that were paused for the past two […]
Schools cricket in Yorkshire: What’s the latest?
Since schools went back on 8 March, the challenge of getting as many kids as possible playing cricket in Yorkshire has been a primary focus. As administrators of the grassroots game in the county, the staff at the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) are the ones planning and implementing that vision, in the context of Covid. […]
Exploring Scarborough & District cricket with Matt Hurren
A conversation with Matt Hurren is to get immersed into the rich and varied world of North Yorkshire cricket. As Scarbrough & District Community Cricket Officer for the Yorkshire Cricket Board, Matt’s remit is heavily involved with schools while he is also YCB Competitions Lead and a Coach Education Tutor for good measure. As to […]
How much cricket is there in Yorkshire state schools?
If I had a pound for every time I hear that a lack of cricket in schools is the game’s perennial problem, I could probably fund Chance to Shine’s ambitions myself. Investigating cricket in state schools across Yorkshire is to uncover some hard truths, uncomfortable realities and yet also marvel at what’s being achieved in […]