Cricket stars coach St Mary's pupils

England and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright and batsman Lydia Greenway, of the England team which recently added the Women's World Twenty20 title to their 50-Over crown, came to the Wrestwood Road school to launch National Cricket Day.

The pair spent time with children in classes and enjoyed a tour of the school before leading coaching sessions with the bat and ball.

Lydia Greenway said: "National Cricket Day gives children a chance to experience cricket in all its different aspects. It covers the national curriculum through the use of cricket. The scheme also offers links with clubs, so if children enjoy it they know where to go next.

"Just looking around St Mary's is obviously a lovely school and it's great that the children get given the opportunity to do everything. That's the best possible thing they can have."

Her thoughts were echoed by Luke Wright, who said: "We have just had a geography lesson with all the kids learning where the other countries are and the test teams we play against. I've been greeted with a massive smile since I got here and it seems a lovely school, and for them to be getting behind the cricket is good.

"I think the kids get on with their teachers much better than I did with mine."

National Cricket Day is a part of Chance to Shine, a development programme by the Cricket Foundation, who aim to bring cricket into one-third of state schools by 2015.

It also creates links between schools and local clubs.

Ashley Pollen, assessment teacher at St Mary's, said: "We have had the Cricket Factory too - they turn up with a lorry the night before and set up lots of equipment, have a lot young guys come down and do drills with the children. The whole day is spent doing cricket."

"Because that worked so well we continued the process."

"The school uses lots of physical activities, it's one of the areas our kids really excel at. The opportunities they get for sport are very good."