Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game usually played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre) pitch.
The batting side scores runs by striking the ball bowled at the wicket with the bat (and running between the wickets), while the bowling and fielding side tries to prevent this (by preventing the ball from leaving the field, and getting the ball to either wicket) and dismiss each batter (so they are "out").
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Modified versions include indoor cricket, blind cricket, table cricket and other versions of the game where things like the number of players, size of the field, length of the pitch, type of ball and methods of scoring are changed to make the game accessible to more people.
Local Cricket Opportunities
You should always start at your local cricket club. Canberra has a bunch of cricket clubs in every part of the city that cater for people young and old. Whether you are just starting out, have been playing for years, or want to get involved as a coach, offiical or volunteer, we're confident your local club would love to get you involved.
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There are a number of options for kids aged 5-10 with a focus on fun, more traditional cricket competitions for kids aged 9-18, and competitions for adults as well. And these include both indoor and outdoor cricket.
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Visit Cricket Australia website or click on the image below to find your local club. And if you need any help at all, get in touch with Cricket ACT's Community Cricket Manager - Mark Barnes (Mark.Barnes@cricketnsw.com.au or 0432 875 992).
In June 2021, Cricket ACT started an Inclusive Cricket Academy at their indoor facility in Woden. The program aims to improve confidence, skills and establish regular training sessions for people living with either a vision impairment, intellectual disability or who are hard of hearing.
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To find out more, please email Jason Schmidt (jasonschmidt.1983@gmail.com) or give him a call on 0412 140 263.
Blind Cricket ACT is a community organisation providing a recreational outlet for blind or vision impaired people in the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales with blind cricket clubs in Canberra and Albury.
Blind Cricket ACT provide a mixture of social games and competitive games including a pathway to national competitions, such as National Cricket Inclusion Championships and international competitions such as The Blind Ashes and World Cup.
Games are friendly affairs played in a variety of formats, including T20 and 40 over matches. They play against local sighted cricket clubs who wear glasses that replicate some common eye conditions and against blind cricket teams from interstate. Check out the video below to see the ACT Meteors having a go at Blind Cricket to see what it's all about.
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To find out more, connect on Facebook or pop them an email at blindcricketact@gmail.com.
Dream Cricket is ​a disability inclusive cricket program that provides opportunities for primary school students to participate in Clinics and Gala Days to learn and enjoy the game of cricket. Coaches modify activities for each participant to ensure personal success and challenge those that are able and willing to ‘give-it-a-go’. Their goal is to use cricket to create opportunities for kids with a disability to grow and develop self-esteem and confidence.
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Visit the Dream Cricket website to find out more. And if you need any help at all, get in touch with the Dream Cricket team by email at enquiries@dreamcricket.com.au.
Every year in January, Cricket Australia hosts the National Cricket Inclusion Championships that brings together State teams across three divisions – Blind and Low Vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Cricketers with an Intellectual Disability.
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ACT sends players in each of these divisions, with players teaming up with other states when there aren't enough players to make up a full team. Check out the video below to see what it's all about.