Cricket fans still delighting in the recent world cup triumph have the chance to revel in more top flight matches as the Physical Disability Cricket World Series comes to Worcestershire next week.
England, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan will go head-to-head in a series of matches to be held at cricket grounds throughout the County from Monday, August 5th to Thursday, August 15th.
This will be the second time the event has been held in Worcestershire and the first ever Physical Disability Cricket World Series to involve five national teams. Last year’s event was a tri-nations featuring England, Pakistan and Bangladesh, won by Pakistan.
The tournament is being hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Worcestershire Cricket Board and the University of Worcester, and is sponsored by NatWest.
Games will be played at the grounds of the historic Worcestershire Cricket clubs of Barnt Green, Birlingham, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, and Old Elizabethans and culminate in England v the Rest of the World vying to take home the University of Worcester Cricket Cup at New Road on Thursday, August 15th.
University of Worcester Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the Physical Disability Cricket World Series in Worcestershire with five national teams competing in a series of exciting matches.
“The University has a long-established reputation for pioneering and championing initiatives in inclusive sport and education and we are delighted to be involved in this fantastic tournament, welcoming players and officials from across the world. We very much hope the public will come along and witness top quality international sport happening right here in Worcestershire.”
The team’s will all be staying at the University throughout the tournament.
Ian Martin, ECB’s Head of Disability Cricket, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming some of the best disability cricketers in the world to Worcester in August for what promises to be a highly competitive series.
“Our England side have lost to Pakistan in our last two finals but with this squad we’re confident of taking that next step to win another major trophy.
“The standard of disability cricket around the world has increased a great deal in recent years, which is great for the game and a multi-nation series like this and we can expect a high standard of cricket to be played this summer.
“We hope this World Series will inspire more people, both disabled and able-bodied, to pick up a bat and ball and discover that cricket is a game for them.”
The University is well advanced in working to create a new indoor inclusive cricket centre and will make a public announcement on progress during the tournament. The new centre will have world-leading facilities purpose-designed to include cricketers with impairments seamlessly as part of the whole sporting community. England Disability Cricket and the England and Wales Cricket Board are much involved in this vital national project which the University hopes will be as successful for inclusive cricket as the University of Worcester Arena has been for wheelchair basketball and inclusive sport generally.
For information on matches visit www.ecb.co.uk/england/disability
Tickets are free and no booking is required.
**cathedral photo courtesy of Purple Swan Photography, taken at the 2018 tri-nations series at Worcestershire County Cricket Club
