AT THE recent home championship match against Essex, Somerset CCC and Somerset Cricket Foundation showcased and raised awareness of the Somerset Disabled Cricket Club and Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club, writes Richard Walsh. 

Both clubs provide an opportunity for young people and adults with additional needs, hearing loss, physical disabilities and visual impairments with the chance to compete on a level playing field.

Somerset Disabled Cricket Club are set to compete on three fronts this season with the formation of a brand new hardball team being the newest addition to club. This comes as a result of a growing membership and the need to meet the playing needs of all players.

They now compete in the ECB National Disability County Cricket Championships in the Super 9s South West Division and new for this year the D40 Hardball South West Pursuit League.

Somerset Disabled Cricket Club play their home games at Ilton Cricket and the Super 9 matches are contested with an incrediball while the D40 matches are played using a pink hardball. Matches are played on a Sunday afternoon. 

The club also have a pairs cricket team called The Dragons who play using a windball in an Ashes style series against Gloucestershire.

The club are always looking for new players and volunteers. They are very friendly and would love to hear from anyone who might be keen to support, play or help!

The Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club compete in the BCEW National League. They play their home games at Wombats CC in Bishops Lydeard.

Matches are played with a larger ball (size of a handball) that makes a sound and the wickets are larger. Each player must be registered blind or partially sighted. Players are then placed into one of four sight categories. The team is then made up of different sight categories, with no more than two players from the high partial category.

The team currently has a number of England internationals representing both the men’s and women’s side. In fact they have both the men’s and women’s England captains. The club are very social and friendly and are always keen to hear from individuals that are keen to get involved as volunteers or as players.

Both Somerset Disabled CC and Somerset VICC have received support from Blackdown Financial Services and Eurilait who supported both training and a brand new kit for this season.

Somerset Cricket Foundation’s Community Programmes manager Steve Gass said: “It was a great opportunity to showcase both the County Visually Impaired and Disability Cricket Clubs. It was a great afternoon and what made it even more special was when the members and supporters in the stands gave them such a warm round of applause.”