Members’ Newsletter May 2020 The cricketers’ charity for the blind and partially sighted INSIDE: Blind cricket’s best innings – p2 | Where your money goes – p4-5 | Primary Club Ashes – p6 | Quiz – p8 www.primaryclub.org 1 www.primaryclub.org BLIND CRICKET 2019 Fantastic Mr Field The gongs were shared out but one individual performance from Sussex Sharks’ Dan Field stood out above all others lind cricket enjoyed its most Steelbacks. Field, who was part of the open year ever in 2019 with England VI team that played Pakistan 11 different clubs taking the in the UAE last November, made a BCEW’s Most Promising Player of B various player and team substantial contribution of 87 in that the Year David Howells (right) trophies, including two finals held over game too. from 2018 due to rain. In the final, Metro were sent in first Cook’s clean sweep Whether it was first-time winners like and racked up a mammoth 260 for 1 with Following their shock BCEW Northants Steelbacks who claimed the England VI star Matt Dean hammering 156 National League triumph Northants Blind Cricket England and Wales (BCEW) not out. But Field then took centre stage Steelbacks dominated the end-of- season awards with four wins. Gav National League title by a massive 31 with an epic 220 not out from only 86 Griffiths was named Total Player points or London Metro winning the BBS balls with 17 fours and 12 sixes that won of the Year, Gerald Porter regained Cup for a record 17th time – but the first the game for Sussex. Wicketkeeper of the Year, David time since 2009 – anyone who claimed Howells took Most Promising Player one trophy didn’t manage to get their of the Year whilst Shah Miah and hands on a second one. Somerset’s Ed Hossell were the Dan Field played possibly the greatest first ever joint winners of an award, Partially Sighted Player of the Year. ever blind cricket innings in this country Hossell and his Somerset teammate to lead Sussex Sharks to an extraordinary Steve Cook both set records: in five-wicket win over London Metro Hossell’s case his two awards this in the final of the 2019 BCEW David season bring him level with Nathan Townley Memorial Twenty20 Cup at Foy for the joint most awards Wolverhampton CC. received by a single player. Sussex’s day had started with a hard- Cook’s record is even more fought 24-run semi-final win over 2019 impressive as he became the first player to complete a clean sweep of National League winners Northants every award he is eligible to receive having won Most Promising Player and Total Fielder in 2016, Total Bowler of the Year in 2017 and Total Batsman of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Shark attack: Dan Lockdown in Lancs Field hits out against Social media was awash with weird Northants (above); and wonderful ways for cricket- the victorious Sussex starved fans and players to pass the team (left) time during coronavirus lockdown. Various members of Lancashire ROLL OF HONOUR Lions VISC promoted a blindfold bat and ball challenge, posting videos of 2019 Trophies trying to keep a ball in the air using a BCEW National League BCEW Midland BCEW Brian Johnston cricket bat. Northants Regional League Memorial Trust Also pictured is the British Blind Steelbacks Worcestershire Development Festival Sport communications officer taking BBS Primary Club Elizabethans Derbyshire Owls Heindrich Swanepoel BCEW Northern BCEW Southern Regional on a challenge from Goalball UK Memorial Cup Regional League Twenty20 Cup to land toilet rolls in a basket while London Metro Durham Viper Jets Gloucestershire Growlers blindfolded. Anything to stave off the BCEW David Townley BCEW Southern BCEW Spirit Of Cricket boredom! Memorial Twenty20 Cup Regional League Award Sussex Sharks Surrey VICC Yorkshire Vikings 2018 Trophies Held Over Due To Rain BCEW David Townley BCEW Southern Regional Memorial Twenty20 Cup Twenty20 Cup Somerset VICC Kent Spitfires 2 www.primaryclub.org www.primaryclub.org From the editor A primary John Stern Welcome to the 2020 Primary Club need newsletter. This is my first as editor, although I have had the privilege of being a trustee for Mike Brace CBE, Primary Club trustee some years. and former Paralympian, explains why the I have been ably assisted in the newsletter’s Club’s role is more important than ever production by Nigel Davies, a terrific designer and a former colleague from our days together he need for the Primary of which have been supported by on The Cricketer magazine. I am grateful Club, and the support the Primary Club. also to my predecessor Alex Johnson for his it offers for sport and Some have gone on to represent help and guidance, and to Dave Gavrilovic T physical recreation for the their country at the highest level, for providing so much vital information and blind and partially sighted, has never and others have just revelled in imagery from all the competitions run by Blind been greater. the freedom of movement that Cricket England & Wales (see page 2). I have been a trustee for nearly sport can provide. One of the most It is impossible to do justice to all the 40 years and have seen the range memorable grants that I have had amazing, selfless and inspirational work that of sports undertaken by the visually the privilege to make as a trustee, could not happen without your support but impaired grow, but so too have the was to a school to provide a hopefully we’ve given you a flavour of what costs of providing specialist facilities took place in 2019. and equipment. With 70% of I have experienced There are one or two innovations: test your working-age vision-impaired people first-hand how cricketing knowledge with our quiz about the unemployed, the affordability of much the Primary primaries of 2019. That’s on the back page participation is a key factor. Club contributes to which also includes an exclusive Primary The Primary Club grants have the active lives of Club members’ offer to receive discounted been a lifeline to many budding VI people” subscriptions to Wisden Cricket Monthly sports men and women which have magazine (which includes regular articles by enabled clubs and organisations specialist auditory/soft play area for me but otherwise represents terrific value for to provide the opportunities to the severely physically and visually money) and the quarterly from the Wisden participate in many sports initially disabled children. stable, The Nightwatchman. with cricket but subsequently in Levels of obesity in the VI These have been especially testing times for sound-tennis, goalball, athletics, population are estimated to be the most vulnerable in society, and for anyone swimming, winter sports, shooting, at least double that of the non- involved in sport and recreation. The Primary archery and many more. As disabled and once the current crisis Club needs your support more than ever. someone who is totally blind I is over, the need to re-establish a You can contact me by email: have experienced first-hand just wide range of sporting and physical [email protected]; please how much the Primary Club have activity will be greater than ever, and follow us on Twitter contributed to the active lives of that is where you come in. @ThePrimaryClub; and visit the many VI people. website www.primaryclub.org Forty years ago, 95% of children and young people with a VI were educated The curse of in special schools. This is where many Rule 5 (c) learned to play The curse of Rule 5 (c) has struck again! The rule, sport without sight. under which members are asked to add £2 to Nowadays, less than their annual donation for each primary achieved 5% of VI children by an England player in a home Test, is invoked by and young people (and confirmed officially to the Primary Club by Test Match Special scorer Andrew Samson): are educated in special schools and l S C J Broad c Smith b Lyon, 2nd innings their opportunities v Australia, Edgbaston, 5 August to undertake sport l J E Root c Paine b Cummins, 2nd innings of any kind largely v Australia, Lord’s, 17 August comes from local l J E Root b Cummins, 2nd innings v Australia, charity groups and Old Trafford, 7 September sports clubs many www.primaryclub.org 3 www.primaryclub.org All your donations help WAVERTREE CRICKET CLUB Everyone’s a winner Wavertree CC have shown how a community club can grow cricket for the visually impaired with benefits for all ur performance indicators past two seasons they have had a team, are not trophies, they’re Wavertree Merseyside, in the BCEW smiling members,” says Northern Regional League, finishing third “O Phill O’Brien, chairman last season behind Durham Viper Jets Recognition: Martin Wilson receives of Wavertree Cricket Club in Liverpool. and Yorkshire Vikings but ahead of his award from former England “Members are members, there are no Lancashire Lions. selector David Graveney divisions and the VI section is integral to “Our membership ranges from the club.” teenagers to people in their 70s,” says Eamon Preston, 42, has been blind since Eamon. “We have men and women of Inspiring birth and towards the end of the 2015 all ages and all abilities. We have a very summer went with a friend to the club diverse membership and a very strong others to attend a charity game of blind cricket. offer in my mind. When MARTIN WILSON was named “We met Phill and asked if we could come “Another real positive is that it’s part of Volunteer Coach of Year at the ECB’s and play,” recalls Eamon.