The game of Table Cricket provides an opportunity for youngsters with severe physical or learning disabilities to play competitive cricket.

But it can be played by anyone and the weather can't intervene.

There is even a national championship contested each year with the final played at Lord's after ten regional tournaments have selected the leading contenders.

Williamson was the chief designer of the game, and the ECB backed it as part of their development plans for disabled cricket.

So where does the link with table tennis come in?

Hitting the maximum: six runs are scored

Well, the game is played on a table tennis table or similar sized surface area with side panels featuring nine sliding fielders.

A plastic ball is bowled by a ball launcher at one end of the pitch, while at the other the batter has a wooden bat.

Teams consist of six players, with each individual innings lasting two overs, regardless of whether the batter is given out.

Every time a wicket is lost five runs are deducted from the team's starting score of 200.

Two, four or six runs can be scored if the ball is hit in-between fielders placed on the side panels.

And wide deliveries are severely punished with four runs awarded to the batting team.

Don't think that being a batsman is easy though, with six different ways of being dismissed.

Avoiding the 'caught out' zones on the side panels requires good shot selection and placement.