REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1046858
Members of the ECB Disabilities Management Committee
To promote League, Area and International cricket
open to all Clubs for people with mixed disabilities
Mixed Disability Cricket was pioneered in Oswestry in May 1989.
A small group of dedicated volunteers realised the potential enjoyment and sense of achievement that cricket offered to people who were unable to play in matches organised for their able-bodied counterparts.
The Cricket Federation for People with Disabilities was formed to give people with mixed disabilities the opportunity to develop for Club to County to Area and on to International competitions regardless of the severity of their disability.
We introduced three categories of disability Zephyr(now CC3) for those with a low level of disability, Zenith (now CC2)) for those with a medium level of disability and Zodiac (now CC1) for those with a high level of disability. This action was taken to ensure that those players with a higher level of disability would have equal opportunities to develop to excellence. We believe that people with disabilities should benefit in the way that all sportsmen benefit with the pride, the fun and the ‘looking forward’ to the next match in the way in which able bodied people do. They have the added bonus that playing a competitive sport can and often does increase their ability and decreases their disability slightly.
Carers have found that they have time to themselves, and the players’ attitude changes when they discover they do have ability. We now have umpires and scorers officiating from a wheelchair. We play our matches on local cricket grounds and at high profile venues such as Lords, Brit Oval, Old Trafford, Edgbaston and Headingley.
In December 2002 the first ever international tour was organised by the CFPD in India for mixed disability players. Three matches took place at Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai to crowds of thousands and a television audience of millions.
Only funding restricts us from expanding the scheme overseas. We also need other countries to tour in the U.K. Also we would like to see an international centre of excellence for cricket and other sports designed specifically for players with very high levels of disability but to include all people with a disability.
In 2006 the Cricket Federation was awarded the Queen’s Award for Volunteers.
The first and only fully comprehensive coaching and development books are available upon request.
INFORMATION
Balls
CC1 and CC2 players play with the incrediball and CC3 players are able to play with a normal cricket ball
Matches
We use the EASTON INCREDIBALL (Safety Cricket Ball)
Core = Soft Polyurethane
Seam = Six stitch construction
Cover = Hard wearing synthetic material
Performance = Looks and performs lime a regular cricket ball
For Practice Matches and initial matches for coaching and introduction,
we use the reader Windball with the use of tennis balls for only catching and fielding practice
Bats
To date we use the Kwik Cricket plastic bats and traditional lightweight cricket bats. We encourage players to purchase their own personal cricket bats which must be suitable i.e. Light, well balanced and not too large.
Stumps
Kwik Cricket – spring loaded – ordinary Cricket stumps – depending on whether playing indoors or outside.
Note: the C.F.P.D. makes their own stumps available for indoor use.
Scoring
Use score sheets or scoring books as normal.
The C.F.P.D. have designed score sheets for beginners and we have also designed portable cheap score boards.
Pitches
Zephyr and Zenith to date = 22 yards normal cricket pitch
Zodiac to date = 16 metres. We use extra marking to reduce the length of distance run by players in wheelchairs/on sticks etc.
Bowlers with very weak arms also use these marked creases.
Any player disadvantaged in a team due to disability may request a runner.