Celebrating disability cricket at Lord's

Rosina Cotton, Surrey Super 1s participant and ECB Intern reflects on this historic day. 

"Recently, I was lucky enough to attend the first ever elite disability match played on the main pitch at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in collaboration with the Lord’s Taverners, the event showcased their collective efforts to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities to see cricket as a sport for them.  

This historic event featured top class cricket matches, taster sessions for different forms of disability cricket and special guests, which included England men’s wicket-keeper bat Ben Foakes, Australia men’s international Nathan Lyon, and TV comedian Adam Hills. The highlight of the day for me was meeting these legends – I even had the privilege of getting a photograph with ‘The Last Leg’ legend himself, Adam Hills, as well as Ben Foakes!"

"Before all the excitement on the main pitch kicked off, I had the chance to watch as some players from the England disability cricket team took to a sport outside of their comfort zone… golf! England golf’s disability star Kris Aves came along fresh off the back of a silver medal in the Nations Cup, which is a disability golf competition in Germany. Aves put the England players through their paces in a fun golf competition, challenging the team to use transferable skills from one sport to another and celebrated the positive impact playing sport has had on their lives".

"The big day offered individuals with disabilities the opportunity to showcase their talents, determination, and resilience on the field. Kids were invited along to play table cricket inside the famous MCC pavilion and on the nursery ground at Lord’s. The players and volunteers were given the opportunity to find out what it was like to play visually impaired (VI) cricket by using specially made VI goggles that restrict vision to simulate the experience of visually impaired players. I even had a go at this myself – I think it’s really important to try to put yourself in other people’s shoes in sport. 

As a sport enthusiast and a current playing participant in a Super 1s team myself, my relentless competitive spirit shone through as I took part in this challenge and I felt like I gave the professionals a run for their money… I even played blindfolded! At the end of the over, I got a pat on the back from Adam Hills, Ben Foakes and Nathan Lyon and was congratulated by members of staff from Lord’s Taverners and MCC!

Meanwhile, there was intense competition on the main field inside the stadium where a visually impaired exhibition match took place in the morning, followed by the ECB Chair’s Disability XI, which featured the best players from across the England physical disability, learning disability and def sides, against the MCC in the afternoon, which they won in a very well contested game. 

Overall, the whole day was a success and it allowed young people with a disability, professional players, and spectators to experience the camaraderie and sheer joy of cricket. 

Disability cricket not only breaks down barriers but also celebrates the diverse abilities of athletes, proving that passion and skill know no bounds. With the ECB, Lord's Taverners, and the MCC at the forefront, the disability cricket movement stands as a testament to the idea that with the right opportunities, every individual can achieve greatness and inspire others along the way".