Sussex star Chris Nash joined schoolchildren at the Yellowave Beach venue on Brighton seafront yesterday (Tues 22nd May), and thousands of other pupils in schools across the country for a day of cricket, as part of Brit Insurance National Cricket Day.
Chris joined four local schools who took part in a cricket tournament to celebrate Brit Insurance National Cricket Day. The schools battled it out on Brighton seafront, organised by the Sussex Cricket Board, with Chris on hand to lend tips and Sussex mascot Sid the Shark making an appearance to entertain the kids.
Many of Chance to Shine’s 4,000 schools turned their timetables over to a day of Caribbean and cricket-themed lessons to tie in with the West Indies’ tour of England.
Speaking about the day, Nash said, “The kids have had a great day and we were all delighted the sun came out for National Cricket Day! Chance to Shine is having an amazing impact around the country and is allowing so many children to have the opportunity to play cricket. It is fantastic to see such a good turnout today and see so many children playing this great game.”
The event was one of 10 flagship media events that took place across the country to celebrate Chance to Shine’s national Caribbean carnival of cricket in schools. Hundreds of schools took part in Brit Insurance National Cricket Day, through their local County Board, and had cricket-themed lessons in class, coaching in the playground, competitions at local cricket clubs and beach cricket festivals.
Summing up the day, Chief Executive of Chance to Shine Wasim Khan said, “It’s fantastic to see cricket once again uniting hundreds of schools and children all over the country. Brit Insurance National Cricket Day is a celebration of the game and the work that Chance to Shine is doing to try and inspire the next generation of players; and what better than way to celebrate than with a Caribbean carnival of cricket?”
Chance to Shine, supported by Brit Insurance, is the biggest grass-roots sport development programme ever undertaken in Britain. It was launched in 2005 by Governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King to reverse the decline of cricket in state schools and has now brought cricket to over one million schoolchildren.
