Devon Cricket Board - Smiles all round the county for National Cricket Day

Last Tuesday, 18^th June was National Cricket Day that involved over 800 children who played on the day, this was all run by the Chance to Shine program. The day was county wide with events going on throughout,unfortunately North Devon cricket extravaganza was postponed due to the weather but managed to take place on the 3rd July instead.

Here is a run through of events from the days proceedings:-

Tavistock CC & Tavistock College Grand Pitch Opening + Cricket Day

Tavistock CC and Tavistock College cricket match raised £5637 through this day to an opening of the new astro turf pitch funded by the Lords’ Taverners. With this partnership between the College and Club they will be hoping to create a third XI to enter the DCL, with is a great result as of the National cricket day. Thanks goes to Stuart Munday for organization of this great event and with the conjunction of the staff at Tavistock College this was a fantastic day with a great funding for the cricket around Tavistock.

(Photographed Above:- (Left) Stuart Munday presenting the Lords Taverners cheque to the principal and local councillors at Tavistock College, (Right) The two teams before the first match on the new pitch at Tavistock College)

Ottery St Mary CC Primary Schools Festival

Ottery St Mary Cricket Club held its National Cricket Day, which held up to 180 children from the local primary school and West Hill Primary School. Theses Schools participated in a pairs cricket tournament that had 24 teams with 6-8 players in each team. The players had a great afternoon with laughter and great fun; they also showed the spirit of cricket with fair cricket being played and hand shaking. In the end of this great day West Hill where the winners and reclaimed the Spirit of Cricket trophy. Many Thanks should be shared to Alex Thurgate, Jack Pritchard, James Faulkner, Steve Loud and Tom Hinch for volunteering to score and umpire all afternoon.

(Photographed Above:- Ottery St Mary NCD fun and pictured right a demonstration of fair play and the spirit of cricket)

Exeter Primaries Tournament

This tournament had 325 children playing, with 150+ games of kwik cricket being played which was supported/umpired/scored by young leaders of St Lukes, Exeter. The Joint winners being Clyst St Mary, St Thomas Primary and Bowhill Primary had excellent day out. All the Schools really enjoyed the day and showed how cricket should be played with big smiles on their faces. Massive thanks should go to all the Primary Schools who attended, St Lukes Secondary School who provided 18 Young Leaders who umpired and scored all the games during the day. (Pictured right an end of day celebration of cricket with all 350 kids)

Scott Chappell Skills Day

Scott Chappell coordinated and ran a Cricket Skills Day with great success at South Devon Community College the delivery itself on the day was based around all the fundamental skills you need for cricket. This delivery went down very well with the 150 plus children who enjoyed there day with him.

(Photographed above a Young Leader in action at the Exeter Festival / Pictured right Skills day at South Dartmoor Community College)

Filliegh Intra-School Competitions

Our Filliegh Cricket Club project ran two separate National Cricket days with both being based around intra-class competition. Martin Brice and his team of coaches at Filliegh have worked tirelessly to get the days off the ground with there local primary schools and both days were seen as an all out success.

(Photographed Above:- Filliegh Project put in some hard work in preparing one school for there intra-school competition)

Chulmleigh & Mid Devon Primary Schools League

Throughout the summer term of this year Chulmleigh and Mid Devon Primary will be holding a Schools Competition throughout each week.

Plymouth CC Schools Festival

Plymouth CC a main stay of Chance to Shine support over the last few years delivered a magnificent inter schools kwik cricket festival. This provided the opportunity for over 180 kids from all over Plymouth to be playing cricket in one place on one day, which was a truly fantastic effort from everyone involved.

North Devon Primary School Kwik Cricket Chaos

130+ kids from three different schools flocked to the picturesque Instow ground on Wednesday 3rd July to compete in the North Devon CC primary schools Kwik Cricket tournament. The first one of its kind at North Devon and one which now is hoped to be a regular feature on the school calenders in future years. The day was a fantastic day out with Holywell Primary coming out top of the pile and taking the trophy home in its infancy year.

(Photographed Above :- The competitors in the North Devon tournament having a celebratory picture with the Chance to Shine Banner!)

If your club / school did something for National Cricket Day please send your report with photographs in now! Send reports and photos to matt.cooke@devoncricket.co.uk

A huge thank you goes out to everyone involved with the day and for all the hard work the volunteers around the county had put in.