Having been founded in 1864, there is plenty to explore about Middlesex County Cricket Club. In Middlesex CCC: The Championship Years, for example, Jon Batham and Ben Kosky provide expert guidance to some of the most successful eras in the club’s history.
Even better, you can now get a 20% discount on your order by applying the code MCCC20 at checkout on the JMD Media website. As well as the renowned professional cricket team, the club also has another strand to it, the Middlesex Participation Team. This blog will explore the kind of work they do and how it’s helping to spread the positive power of cricket. Read on to find out more…
Their Aim
The focus of the Middlesex Participation Team is the growth of recreational cricket in the area. As it says on the club’s website, their role ‘is to actively encourage, support and promote the playing and development of the game of recreational cricket at all levels and age groups in Middlesex.’
Projects
The team have collaborated with other organisations in their mission to support recreational cricket in the area. Working with Chance to Shine, they’ve developed the Middlesex Street Programme.
They’ve taken cricket to a range of environments including mosques, youth centres and car parks, giving people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to explore cricket. The project has opened doors to other unique opportunities as well, such as a promotional filming day with Natwest, where participants got to meet professional cricketers.
Middlesex Mavericks
The Middlesex Mavericks were created by the Participation Team to provide people with the opportunity to play club cricket. The team's development helped break down barriers that had previously prevented people from playing, such as regular match fees and Saturday work commitments.
Through the group's Street Projects, they discovered a hunger from some of the participants to play regular club cricket. With the Mavericks, the Participation Team provided a pathway to do this. The team were entered into the Middlesex Development League played on Sundays, giving players the chance to fulfil the goal of playing in a club environment.
The Power of Cricket
The projects run by the Participation Team have helped shine a spotlight on how powerful cricket and sport can be. For one young person whose story you can read more about here, it was through the Street Cricket sessions that he discovered a sense of release and developed a passion for cricket.
With technology taking up so much of our attention these days, Middlesex Cricket’s Participation Team is a reminder of the power sport can possess and the positive impact it can have.
Read more about this historic cricket club by ordering your copy of Middlesex CCC: The Championship Years here. Plus don’t forget…
