New club for disabled cricketers

No boundaries - the club hopes to provide players for the Wales team

Disabled sports people in north Wales have been invited to join a new cricket club set up in Flintshire.

The weekly club in Buckley is aimed at providing opportunities for both adults and children with either a mild learning or physical disability.

With coaching offered, it is hoped that more players will take up disability cricket and also strengthen competition for places in the Wales squad.

Organisers already have a core of players and now want more fixtures.

The club has been set up by the Flintshire Disability Sport Cymru Development Officer Jo Edwards and Ian Martin of the Welsh Association for Cricketers with a Disability.

As well as long-term disabled sports people, they want to attract cricketers who may have stopped playing league cricket because of industrial injury or surgery.

There are a lot of people with disabilities in this area that have not had an opportunity to get involved Paul Bennett

"We intend to work closely with the special schools in our area to develop any cricketing talent that we can find, hopefully to the level where players will go on to represent Wales," said Ms Edwards.

Mr Martin, who has a neuro-muscular condition affecting the strength in his legs, said: "We have never had fixtures outside of the representative games that we have played for Wales in the National County Championship".

The former Wales batsman added: "I hope that this new club, in addition to other clubs we have set up in Cardiff and Llandrindod Wells, will introduce new players to the sport that will increase competition for places in the Welsh team".

The club hopes to put disabled cricket on the map in the area

The coach at the new club is former all-rounder Paul Bennett, who has spina bifida.

"I finished playing after a career of 25 years and wanted to give something back to the sport," said Mr Bennett, a council technician from Penyffordd.

"There are a lot of people with disabilities in this area who have not had an opportunity to get involved until now".

The club, which will offer coaching, has received a £750 community chest grant but is now looking for more sponsorship and fixtures.

Among those joining the opening session was Jacob Bragg, who is nine.

The Mynydd Isa Junior School pupil, who has cerebral palsy, already plays football for the pan-disabled under 16s at Everton Football Club, and now says he wants to learn the skills of cricket.

Mr Martin said: "Wales has a strong tradition in disabled cricket and we were national champions in 2002. We hope this club will help cricketers of the future on board".