First founded in June 2007, Durham’s Visually Impaired Cricket Team now play in ECB’s (England and Wales Cricket Board) Development League, agonise 11 other teams.
Visually Impaired (VI) cricket is a specially adapted version of the game that is suitable for anyone with a visual impairment – whether partially sighted or totally blind.
The main adaptation is the ball – in the domestic leagues and cups, the game is played with a size three football that is filled with tiny carbon balls that make a sound when the ball bounces or is struck by the bat.
Other adaptions include larger stumps and various amendments to the rules of sighted cricket that accommodate the visually impaired.
Visually Impaired (VI) Cricket has been played in the UK since the 1940s, when it began as a means of recreation for injured servicemen returning from the Second World War.
Today the game is played by a number of clubs up and down the country and the format is suitable for players with a variety of sight classifications.
Durham’s team train all year round. In the winter, training takes place fortnightly at the Hermitage Academy in Chester-le-Street, with summer training details soon to be confirmed.
Durham’s VI team currently have 12 players but we are always looking for more players to join. We welcome players of any age, experience and with any level of sight loss.
Add New Comment