Lord’s Cricket Ground, that grand old stage of English sport, will roar to life on Wednesday 25 June for Disability Cricket Day – the biggest one-day celebration of disability cricket the nation has ever seen.
Hosted by the MCC, ECB and Lord’s Taverners, Disability Cricket Day will highlight just how far the game has come, and where it’s headed next.
At the heart of the action, England Men’s Mixed Disability team will square off against India in the third clash of their seven-match Mixed Disability Vitality IT20 series. Play begins at 3.30pm, but there’s a full day of cricket and community spirit on tap long before that.
The main ground will see the MCC battle Middlesex Disability in an exhibition match, while the Nursery Ground hosts a visually impaired exhibition game. From the first ball bowled to the final cheer, Disability Cricket Day will remind everyone that cricket has become a game for everyone, regardless of ability.
For younger players, the Lord’s Taverners will run a Softball Competition for pupils from special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools.
Meanwhile, the National Table Cricket Finals will unfold in the Nursery Pavilion from 9.30 am – a culmination of four months of hard-fought regional contests.
Table cricket, for those unfamiliar, is an adapted form of the game played on a table tennis table, catering to young people with a range of learning and physical disabilities. One school will emerge as the national champions, but every participant will have earned their stripes.
A conference featuring MCC, ECB, Lord’s Taverners and Toyota – ECB’s Principal Partner and Champion of Disability Cricket – will also take place, tackling how to keep pushing boundaries and opening doors for all.
Rob Lynch, MCC’s Director of Cricket and Operations, put it best: “Disability Cricket Day is a celebration of how far the game has come in becoming truly inclusive and accessible.
It’s an opportunity to shine a light on the incredible talent, passion, and resilience of our disability cricket community — from grassroots right through to the international stage.
We’re proud to play a part in supporting and growing mixed disability cricket, and events like this at Lord’s not only showcase progress, but also inspire future generations to see cricket as a game for everyone.”
ECB’s Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin echoed that view: “The world of Disability Cricket has changed so much during my time at the ECB and it continues to improve every year.
A day to celebrate that progress alongside other organisations who work so hard to champion disability cricket – MCC and Lord’s Taverners – is truly exciting, but more than that it’s a day to continue the game’s progress.
“People with disabilities, and more specifically young people with disabilities, have so many opportunities now to engage with cricket and form a lifelong connection with the game and so much of that is on show at Lord’s, from Table Cricket and Super 1s up to the elite men’s mixed disability team. I strongly encouraged people to come along and be a part of the day, to learn more about a format of the game that’s only moving in one direction.”
Lord’s Taverners CEO Mark Curtin said: “Disability Cricket Day is a fantastic opportunity to illustrate 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.
“We can’t wait to see our National Table Cricket Finals and all the young people involved in our activity at the home of cricket throughout the day, be 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.”
For those keen to see this extraordinary day firsthand, tickets to the Mixed Disability Vitality IT20 against India can be purchased directly online.
It’s a rare chance to watch a game that’s grown beyond boundaries, powered by a spirit that’s bigger than cricket itself.
