West Sussex school attends Lord’s for national finals event

The West Sussex school was invited along to the home of cricket to take on 11 other schools as the best regional qualifier runner up, and while they didn’t take home the trophy, they made memories for life playing at an iconic sporting venue.

And specialist teaching assistant Anchalee Wood revealed how the students had been massively looking forward to the day.

“They’ve been talking about it every day, every hour of the day” she said.

“Ever since they found out it was going to be at Lord’s they’ve been super excited.

“It’s been a brilliant day and a great opportunity for them.”

Table cricket is a fully inclusive, adapted version of the game aimed at young people living with a wide range of learning and physical disabilities played on a table tennis table.

Teams of six compete to avoid fielders and hit specific scoring zones while the ball is bowled using a ramp. The Lord’s Taverners runs its national competition each year, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools from across the country taking part.

Wood also expressed the importance of having inclusive occasions such as the National Table Cricket Finals Day for students to aim for.

“Events like this are very important as it’s something the students feel like they have the opportunity to do and can fully take part in,” she said.

“It’s great for them physically and mentally.

“They’ve had a two-and-a-half-hour journey to get here, they’ve had to be up early, and for them to achieve what they have so far, I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

For the first time in the competition's history, National Finals Day took place as part of Disability Cricket Day, the biggest ever one-off showcase of disability cricket hosted by the MCC, ECB and Lord’s Taverners which saw all formats of disability cricket on display from grassroots to elite level.

The day was brought to a close by the first ever international disability cricket fixture on the main ground at Lord’s, the third of a seven match Vitality IT20 Mixed disability series between England and India.

“I saw table cricket for the first time a few years ago now and coming to the final here at Lord's today, you are struck immediately by the competitiveness, the keenness and the camaraderie,” said Lord’s Taverners President and former England batter David Gower.

“Everyone’s spirits are high and it’s fantastic to see people getting everything they want from the game, who, as we know, wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity. Events like this are hugely important.

“The players are all so good, and they are all having immense fun. The atmosphere is just vibrant, and I love being a figurehead for Tavs, especially on days like today.”

The Lord’s Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality. The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities – visit www.lordstaverners.org