Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, speaks at the launch of Howzat! at Lord's

ECB's ground-breaking educational resource Howzat! is being rolled out to 1,000 cricket coaches and 1,000 school teachers a year as part of a major new initiative to improve cricket coaching in schools.

ECB Chairman Giles Clarke hosted a launch of the programme at Lord’s Cricket Ground in October 2008 together with the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the England Women’s captain, Charlotte Edwards, and England all-rounder Luke Wright.

The ECB originally launched Howzat! as a paper-based educational resource in 2000, with two thirds of state schools nationwide receiving the ground-breaking pack which was designed to help teachers deliver cricket in schools.

Howzat! has been upgraded and redesigned to tie in with the launch of the new national curriculum. Based around a pre-installed software programme which has been specially designed for teachers, it enhances the delivery of high quality PE and school sport through cricket.

More than 1,300 copies of the resource have already been circulated to qualified cricket coaches working within the Cricket Foundation’s ‘Chance to shine’ programme. Ultimately, it will offer teachers and coaches a combination of 670,000 different games and practices to choose from.

Clarke said: "The redesign and re-launch of Howzat! shows our unwavering commitment to producing quality cricket coaching in schools and meeting the needs of pupils and teachers. The legacy of Howzat! will be significant in aiding the production of both quality cricketers and healthy children over the coming years."]

Howzat! has been accredited by the Association of Physical Education. It underpins the Working in Schools training provided for qualified cricket coaches and Cricket Training for teachers to help ensure that cricket is fully integrated into the curriculum.

Pete Ackerley, ECB Head of Development, said: "The new, improved Howzat! shows what can be achieved when sports governing bodies and schools work together. It will be a terrific asset in the classroom and on the playing field and help develop competence and understanding amongst teachers and coaches."

The ECB consulted with education specialists, practising teachers, curriculum advisors and cricket coaches before producing Howzat! to ensure that the product is deliverable in classrooms and sports clubs.

The resource is given to any teacher or coach who completes an entry level coaching course. The ECB continues to work with County Boards to deliver quality cricket coaching courses and training for teachers across England and Wales.

The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, said: "Cricket and other competitive sports have huge spin-off benefits for young people in and out of the classroom. It’s vital that the sport continues to flourish - and that future generations get the coaching they need and teachers the support they need to deliver the national curriculum.

"Almost nine out of ten state schools already offer cricket, more than rugby union and tennis, and it is now consistently among the top five sports most widely available - and over half our schools have strong, formal links with cricket clubs, the second highest after football, so youngsters can access good facilities and keep playing outside school.

"We work closely with the ECB to promote the sport to young people and Howzat! clearly demonstrates its commitment to the overall health of the game and of our young people."

Cricket is fully committed to working in partnership in education and works increasingly closely with the Chance to shine initiative to train the people who are bringing cricket back to state schools. Cricket announced a 27 per cent increase in participation in 2008 due to the success of this approach.