Generous Norwich business sponsors disabled cricket tournament
The Clare School Captain James Frost receiving The Harford Attachments trophy from Steve Kidd. Cricket Board officials Lewis Denmark and Alex Bates who umpired - Credit: Archant
Sponsorship from a generous Norwich business allowed a disability cricket league to run for the first time.
Harford Attachments, based on Burton Road in Hellesdon, donated a one-off sum to Norfolk Cricket Board to spend however they wanted.
Cricket Development Officer Kevin Denmark had previously tried to set up a disability cricket league and saw the donation as a chance to try again.
'We were going to do it last year but it never really got off the ground,' he said.
'When we got the offer of this money we thought we would put it towards a tournament.'
Disabled cricket is played with an adapted table tennis table and teams of six players. Barriers and scoring zones are set up and the ball is propelled from a launcher, with teams taking it in turns to bowl and bat.
The competition was run at Easton Tennis Centre across two days over weekends in September and October and Mr Denmark said it was a huge success.
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'The engagement and atmosphere was excellent with the whole event exceeding my expectations,' he said.
A team from The Clare School captained by James Frost eventually took home the trohpy, beating competition from The Hamlet Centre, Ipswich Road and Sprowston.
Harford Attachments owner Steve Kidd, 60, was on hand to present the trophies and medals.
'We were very pleased to be able to do it,' he said.
'I saw an article in the EDP about some disability cricket sessions they were doing and I sent the money.
'It's nice that a mainstream body like Norfolk Cricket Board has the time to do something like this and wanted to include disability groups. It was really, really succesful.'
Mr Kidd has agreed to sponsor the event again next year, and Norfolk Cricket Board hopes there will be even more teams involved in 2015.
Has your community group been helped by a local business? Email polly.grice@archant.co.uk.
