If you are not familiar with it, Table Cricket is a little-known game.
Created and developed in Nottinghamshire by Doug Williamson, a lecturer in education at Nottingham Trent University in 1990, it is part of an adapted sports project. Table Cricket is an inclusive form of cricket that allows anyone to take part, regardless of strength or disability.
Now funded by The Lord’s Taverners as part of the SEND Schools Programme, table cricket has become a popular sport among young disabled people in schools and community settings.
The game distils the hand-eye coordination skills required for traditional cricket into a highly accessible table-top activity. Bowling is played using a ramp, the bat is small and light, and fielding is done with sliders up and down the sides of a table tennis table. The rules are similar to kwik cricket, making it a fast-moving game that is accessible to anyone with a physical or learning disability. In regional and national competitions, margins are tight, and the game increases in speed considerably.
Table cricket is thriving in Nottinghamshire. During the Spring term of 2024, 20 SEND schools received coaching in curriculum time, the highest number to date. Two in-county tournaments, North and South, led to a county final in the Long Room at Trent Bridge on 26th March, where 10 teams competed. Hope House School, Westbury Academy, Dawn House School, and Beech Academy (Fairholme) competed in the inaugural county cup for a chance to participate in the regional competition at Derbyshire CCC in April. Beech Academy has a history of success in this tournament, having been crowned national champions at Lord's in 2022 and placing third overall in 2023.
Nottinghamshire has had several national champion schools, including Fountaindale School and Portland College, who have also been victorious at the Home of Cricket.
The Nottinghamshire branch of the Lord’s Taverners SEND Programme is managed at Trent Bridge by Richard Preskey, Disability Cricket Officer. The programme offers table cricket and kwik cricket to SEND schools throughout the county. Table Cricket is delivered in partnership with The Belvoir Cricket and Countryside Trust, whose director is former Nottinghamshire batter Darren Bicknell.
In the future, Table Cricket is expected to expand in our county as new partnerships develop. This year, young leaders from Portland College supported in-school sessions at Fountaindale School. The sessions are now an integral part of the curriculum. The Joseph Whitaker School in Rainworth hosted the North schools’ competition. Their young leaders received training from our coaches and provided excellent support throughout the day, establishing a strong connection for the future.