Notts host visually impaired match

9 October 2008

The development of cricket for the visually-impaired in Nottinghamshire has gathered pace after local participants were given the opportunity to play an exhibition game at Trent Bridge.

The taster session, led by Ian Leather, development manager of the Visually Impaired Cricket Board, provided an introduction to an adapted form of the game played with a size three football and audio prompts.

“Historically, developing Visually Impaired Cricket in the north pf England has been challenging so we’re trying to build it at grassroots level,” he said.

Trent Bridge was the venue for a taster session and short game of visually impaired cricket

Buy this photo

“The basic rules of cricket apply but we use a football and the bowler calls to the batsman when he is about to make a delivery. It’s a safe and exciting form of the game that anyone with any level of diagnosed sight-loss can play.

“Our vision is that our club, Nottingham Knights, will evolve and eventually we will see local clubs developing visually-impaired sections and playing fixtures against each other in a northern cricket league.”

Notts CCC cricket development officer Eddie Burke has added his support and hopes that new participants will be attracted to the sport.

“With any new scheme, it’s important to develop a wide base of participants and we hope that the experience of playing at Trent Bridge will encourage people to spread the word about visually impaired cricket,” he added.

“The emphasis is on enjoyment but there is a competitive edge as well and the adaptations to the rules make a it very accessible sport.”