A table cricket hub has been opened at Treloar’s School in Holybourne and launched with a competition between seven SEND schools.

The facility is the first table cricket hub in the county and will host a variety of inclusive sessions for young people in the region.

Lord’s Taverners’ annual SEND table cricket competition was hosted on Wednesday, January 28, as part of the hub’s opening celebrations and saw 54 young people of all abilities take part.

Table cricket is a table-top version of the sport played in teams of six, with one team of bowlers using a ramp while batters aim to hit different scoring zones while avoiding fielders. It was designed to give all players the chance to compete in cricket and the competition is now a regular fixture in the regional cricket calendar.

Baycroft School were victorious this year and will attend the national edition of the competition in Crawley.

The event was hosted by Hampshire Cricket Board and Treloar’s School with ongoing weekly sessions continuing on Mondays from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. These are delivered for free as part of Hampshire’s Super 1s programme which aims to make the sport more accessible for disabled people aged 12 to 25. To sign up to these sessions email [email protected].

Michael Powell, disability cricket development officer at Hampshire Cricket Board, said: “I am extremely grateful to all of the schools that we engage with on our SEND schools’ programme.

“Cricket is a game for everyone, and thanks to our partnership with the Lords Taverners, we are able to make our game accessible to so many young people with a disability.

“Table cricket is another great example of how cricket continues to become inclusive, and we look forward to continuing to develop existing relationships and creating new connections across Hampshire with SEND provisions."

To find out more about Hampshire Cricket Board’s disability programme, visit: https://www.utilitabowl.com/cricket-board/disability/