Chance to Shine celebrate National Cricket Day
26 June 2013
The Gloucestershire Cricket Board took over the timetable at Longlevens Junior School to celebrate Brit National Cricket Day.
Community coach Jamie Mitchell, Gloucestershire fast bowler Ian Saxelby and ex-England star Beth Morgan joined pupils for a range of cricket-themed lessons as the Gloucester school devoted the entire day to the sport.
From writing poetry inspired by cricket to drawing mascots and learning about nutrition, the students explored every aspect of the game before taking part in a cricket tournament.
The day was the culmination of a 12 week coaching programme in the school delivered by GCB coaches as part of Chance To Shine – which is also behind National Cricket Day.
Gloucestershire’s Ian Saxelby – who visited the school despite having a bicep operation just a week earlier – said: “Chance To Shine do incredible work bringing cricket into schools where it might not otherwise be played.
“For the school to devote the whole day to cricket is fantastic and to bring it into the classroom is a great idea. You can see the children are having a brilliant time and getting really excited about the game.
“Hopefully days like this will encourage children to go out and join local clubs and help push through more Gloucestershire players of the future.”
Saxelby and former England women’s player Beth Morgan – who is a Chance To Shine ambassador – also did some coaching with the pupils and took part in a question and answer session.
The event was organised by GCB community coach Jamie Mitchell.
He said: “Longlevens Junior School are a real success story as far as Chance To Shine is concerned. Supported by the GCB coaches that have visited the school, the staff there have been fantastic in giving children the opportunity to experience cricket and a number have joined local clubs as a result.
“Every single class is doing cricket-themed lessons all day and that can’t help but inspire the pupils and help spark their interest in cricket.”
The event in Gloucester was one of three flagship events across the UK to mark Brit National Cricket Day.
Beth Morgan, a member of the 2009 World Twenty20 competition added: “It's amazing how cricket relates to so many subjects in the classroom and hopefully the children will remember this day for a long time to come.
“There weren't many female cricketing role models when I was at school, so hopefully days like this along with the success of England's men and women can inspire these children.”
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