Doug Williamson originally developed Table Cricket in 1990 through Project Adapted at
Nottingham Trent University. It stemmed from the desire to devise another appropriate sporting opportunity for youngsters
who could not take part in the traditional Paralympic sports. It was created especially for those with more severe physical
impairments, and trials were conducted in Nottingham and at Stoke Mandeville. In 1998 the Youth Sport Trust adopted
Table Cricket and added it to the Sportsability Bag of adapted equipment which were then distributed to 1500 schools
throughout England and Wales. The game involves a table tennis table, or similar surface area, side panels with sliding
fielders, a ball launcher, a plastic ball and a wooden bat to simulate a game of cricket.
Table Cricket is a sport played in schools across the country, culminating each year with a
National Final at Lord's, the 'Home of Cricket'. However, the sport entered an exciting new era in 2010 when support
from The Lord's Taverners, in partnership with Cerebral Palsy Sport (CP Sport), led to the appointment of a National
Development Officer, responsible for growing grass-roots participation. The aim is to concentrate initially on rolling
out the game to a wider audience at recreational level, with clearly defined pathways through school and county competitions,
moving on to the already established routes of regional heats and the National Competition.
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