THREE clubs in the area will next month become centres for All Stars Cricket, a major new grassroots initiative aimed at introducing the sport to young children.

Lindow Cricket Club, Wilmslow Cricket Club and Styal Cricket Club will be providing fun sessions for boys and girls aged five to eight as part of the new England and Wales Cricket Board campaign.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan OBE is backing the programme, taking up a role as an All Stars Cricket ambassador.

Former England captain and All Stars Cricket ambassador Michael Vaughan said: “I started playing cricket at my local club and have seen first-hand how important it is to introduce kids to our sport in a fun way," said Vaughan captaining the Ashes winning England team of 2005 and opened the new nets facility at Lindow last year.

“As a parent, I’ve also seen how tough it can be to get kids interested in sport especially given the amount of activities competing for their time.

"Finding a way for cricket to appeal to kids and to get them active is more important than ever.

“We are bringing cricket to the front door of kids and parents across England and Wales. I can’t wait to see the positive impact this will have on clubs and the wider game.”



All Stars session times locally are:

Tuesdays, starting, May 23, 4pm to 5pm at Styal Cricket Club

Thursdays, starting, May 25, 5pm to 6pm at Wilmslow Cricket Club

Saturdays, starting, May 20, 10am to 11am, at Lindow Cricket Club

The ECB aim to get 50,000 boys and girls excited by the game this year.

Parents can register their kids to take part via allstarscricket.co.uk.

After signing-up, children will have a cricket ‘back-pack’ delivered to their door with a bat, ball and everything they need to try the game for the first time.

They will then start an eight-week programme at their participating centre, with the emphasis placed firmly on learning how to play the game in a fun, safe and inclusive environment.

Children will also learn the social development skills that team sport brings.

Each session of the eight-week programme – developed with input from Andrew Strauss and the England performance team – will give children the basic skills they need to develop a lifelong love of cricket.

ECB will give participating centres free All Stars kits, volunteer training and support via a central marketing campaign, celebrating ‘Big Moments’ as children take their first steps in the game.

The programme reflects ECB’s strategic framework for growing the game at every level.

ECB director of participation and growth Matt Dwyer said: “We have big ambitions to significantly grow the game and this programme is all about putting a bat and ball in the hands of more children at an earlier age.

"First and foremost, we want to make playing cricket a fun and enjoyable experience for children and give them a passion for the game to last a lifetime.

“Drawing kids to the game at an early age will develop more players, create more fans and show the power of cricket in developing physical and social skills.

“We also want to make sure that parents have a great first experience at the club and give them the chance to have an hour back with their kids every week. We will be encouraging parents to get involved with sessions, whatever their prior knowledge of the game.

“Within weeks of unveiling the programme to clubs we had 2,000 of them sign up to deliver All Stars Cricket and this summer we hope to have 50,000 kids trying the sport all over the country through this exciting nationwide programme.”