England Cricket Board’s entry-level programme All Stars Cricket will be running in Durham for a second consecutive year and registrations for 2018 are now open.
The activity packed eight-week programme will be delivered in 62 local cricket clubs and centres across Durham County throughout the summer, giving five to eight-year-olds their first experience of cricket.
All Stars Cricket launched last summer and introduced over 37,000 children to cricket nationally, as it is set to reach even more this year.
The programme will provide children with the basic skills they need to develop a lifelong love of cricket, with the emphasis placed firmly on learning how to play the game in a fun, safe and inclusive environment.
Every child that registers will receive their own backpack, bat, ball, activity book, personalised shirt and cap all sent straight to their door.
Returning participants from last year can get a brand new kit to progress their development as an All Star including new backpack, cricket bat, ball, new personalised shirt, stumps and an activity book.
In Durham, the programme also comes with many more benefits such as a Durham Jets Sticker Book and a free Mini Jets Membership for All Stars Participants, which gives children access to all seven of the Jets Vitality Blast home games.
Durham County Cricket Club are also offering two discounted Jets memberships for parents, £70 down to £20 each, with every All Star.
Durham’s own initiative, a partnership between Durham County Cricket Club and Durham County Cricket Board, is set to bring elite cricket closer to junior players by introducing All Stars participants to the Jets players via the sticker book and is hoped to create unforgettable experiences for the youngest cricketers at each Jets game this season.
Darren Brown, All Stars Cricket Champion for Durham Cricket Board, said: “All Stars Cricket is the most exciting grassroots programme in our sport to date.
“We have already seen from last year the significant impact it has had, with over 70 per cent of participants being new to cricket, and we are looking to make this summer even bigger in terms of the experience centres provide and the number of kids we engage.
“We have 62 local cricket clubs running the programme this year, 19 more than last summer, and this means that we have a good spread all throughout the county.”
Liam Simpson, All Stars Cricket Champion for Durham Cricket Board, added: “All Stars Cricket is all about putting a bat and a ball in the hands of more children at an earlier stage, but most importantly doing it in a fun and interactive way.
“We hope that through All Stars Cricket we could not only grow participation in out county but also spark a true passion for cricket in children to last them a lifetime.”
The sessions are led by fully trained activators and are designed to develop 9 out of 10 fundamental movement skills.
The All Stars Cricket programme is fully inclusive and along with kids, it also targets to involve their parents too.
Liam said: “The activities and sessions are designed to get the parents playing with their children and allow them to enjoy the game and spend a quality hour together.”
All Stars Cricket is running in 62 clubs throughout the county, as sessions start in May.