Take a closer look at the amazing stories behind disability cricket in England and Wales
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To mark International Day of People with Disabilities we take a closer look at a tremendous summer for England's disability squads and the amazing progress of disability cricket in England and Wales.
England Physical Disability
The Physical Disability World Series took place in Worcester in August, where England - led by the highly experienced Iain Nairn - reached the final of the World Series, beating Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the process.
“I attended the Physical Disability World Series final and was in awe of the skill and passion on show from all the teams involved, really emphasising that our disabilities players are elite cricketers in their own right. The standard of cricket is exceptional and shows just what can be achieved even in the toughest personal circumstances."
“One of the most satisfying things for me is seeing the great young talents we’ve got coming into the team, including 17-year-old Angus Brown who was one of the standout players of the tournament. It’s good to know the future of the game is looking so bright.”
England Learning Disability tour of Australia
Chris Edwards led England’s Learning Disability team to a clean sweep in Australia winning an ODI series 3-0 followed by a 5-0 triumph in the INAS Global Games T20 series.
Powerful left-hander Dan Bowser returned with a Bradman-esque stat sheet, scoring 499 runs in seven matches at an average of 99.8 taking the player of the series award.
Dan Bowser takes aim in Brisbane
"Australia is always a tough place to visit as an England cricketer, so to come away with a gold medal and an unbeaten record is a great feeling."
Visually Impaired series against Pakistan
England’s VI cricketers endured a tough series against a dominant Pakistan team in UAE.
Sam Murray hit a century in the penultimate match, but England couldn’t match Pakistan’s might with the bat. 2020 promises to be a big summer for VI cricket with plans for a Blind Ashes.
“The series against Pakistan was a real learning experience for the whole squad. We return knowing what is required to try and close the gap and I look forward to our next opportunity to wear the three lions on the international stage.”
While England’s Deaf team were not in international action in 2019, Umesh Valjee is taking inspiration from the other squads.
“It has been great to follow the fortunes of the PD, LD and VI teams this year. Together we’re helping to grow awareness and support for disability cricket and disability sport as a whole. We can’t wait to pull on our England shirts again in 2020 and show what we can do on the world stage.”
The Head of Disability Cricket at ECB Ian Martin reflected on a memorable year:
“It has been an incredible year for cricket and I’m so proud that our disabilities teams have played their part in it. It’s brilliant to see our players excelling on the world stage and inspiring the next generation of disability players to follow their dreams of playing for England."