Blind cricket will soon be arriving at NSW Central Coast schools, with former NSW captain and current state blind cricket team member, Scott Jones, visiting schools to teach the sport.
Not-for-profit organisation, Social Futures is rolling out blind cricket to develop an awareness of disability and demonstrate how the community can adapt and be inclusive to all, through sport. Schools can volunteer to host the 90- minute program.
The rules of blind cricket are based on standard cricket rules, with a couple of key modifications. The ball is hard plastic and filled with ball bearings to provide audible cues and the wickets are made of metal and rattle when shaken to identify their location.
“Every student can take part in this interactive game so when I visit the school, I have a short chat about disability awareness and inclusive sports,” Jones said. “We use experiential glasses in blind cricket that replicate the experience of vision impairment and when deprived of an essential sense, vision, players are prompted to find new skills as they play.”
There are 11 players in each blind cricket team, and under competitive blind cricket rules there must be at least four players who are totally blind and seven partially blind players. That seven includes a minimum of three players with less than 5 per cent vision and a minimum of three players with less than 10 per cent vision.
According to Jones, who is Social Futures community development co-ordinator, other differences to blind cricket are that verbal signals are widely used both by umpires and players.
“The bowler must ask the batsman if he is ready and shout ‘play’ as he bowls the ball, and they must bounce at least twice when bowling to a completely blind batsman but only once to someone with partial sight. All methods of dismissal are in play including bowled, caught, LBW and stumped. Totally blind batsman are scored two runs for every one run they achieve.”
For more details and to book a visit with Jones, contact Social Futures on: lac@socialfutures.org.au or PH: 1800 522 679