Capital Kids' Cricket
Encyclopedia
Capital Kids' Cricket is an initiative and a charity based in London
, to promote the playing of cricket
in state schools in the capital of the United Kingdom
.
, but especially London
, during the 1970s and the 1980s the teaching and playing of cricket was dying in schools funded by the state, for many complex reasons and by 1990 only 20 out of more than 800 such schools in London were playing the game. The teaching of cricket has declined throughout England
in recent years, but the issue is compounded in London as there are few local teams with their own grounds on which children can be taught. To counter this lack of interest, CKC was set up by two Yorkshiremen William Greaves and Hayden Turner, who have a passion for cricket, and were concerned at its decline.
that the game has traditionally provided. Volunteers
have been found to help develop the sport in schools, and annual competitions have been arranged with the winners playing their final at the MCC
Indoor School at Lord's Cricket Ground
.
, British Land
plc, Sportsmatch
and the MCC
support in various ways. Individuals are invited to join the Heavy Rollers,wikitionary:heavy rollers a little joke suggesting that they possess money and propel the heavy roller used to flatten the cricket wicket. The Heavy Rollers are led by Head Groundsman, Clive Lloyd
, the ex-West Indies captain
and assistant head groundsmen, who are senior cricketers such as Mike Brearley
, Roland Butcher
, Donald Carr
, Mike Denness
, Ted Dexter
, Paul Downton
, John Edrich
, Keith Fletcher
, Angus Fraser
, Mike Gatting
, Graham Gooch
, David Gower
, Tom Graveney
, Tony Lewis
, Brian Luckhurst
, Alec Stewart
, Bob Willis
and Don Wilson.
Others can join on the payment of a small contribution.
, a celebration was held, attended by seven mayors of London Boroughs wearing their insignias of office – their mayoral chains – who informally and affectionately refer to themselves as the chain gang
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to promote the playing of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in state schools in the capital of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Origins
In BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but especially London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, during the 1970s and the 1980s the teaching and playing of cricket was dying in schools funded by the state, for many complex reasons and by 1990 only 20 out of more than 800 such schools in London were playing the game. The teaching of cricket has declined throughout England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in recent years, but the issue is compounded in London as there are few local teams with their own grounds on which children can be taught. To counter this lack of interest, CKC was set up by two Yorkshiremen William Greaves and Hayden Turner, who have a passion for cricket, and were concerned at its decline.
Position today
Now more than half the schools in London teach cricket, and promote the ethosEthos
Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals. Early Greek stories of...
that the game has traditionally provided. Volunteers
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
have been found to help develop the sport in schools, and annual competitions have been arranged with the winners playing their final at the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
Indoor School at Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Support
The charity is sponsored both corporately and individually, and especially with the help of active and retired cricketers. The Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Lord's TavernersLord's Taverners
The Lord’s Taverners is a thriving club, the official charity for recreational cricket and the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity whose objective is to 'give young people, particularly those with special needs, a sporting chance'.The Lord’s Taverners was founded in 1950 by a...
, British Land
British Land
The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It is headquartered in London...
plc, Sportsmatch
Sportsmatch
Sportsmatch U.K. Ltd. was formerly known as J & J Ford Ltd until 1992 when the name was changed. The company was formed by John Ford in 1972. John set up making scope mounts and scope rings but after 16 years the Sportsmatch GC2 air rifle was born. The rifle was revolutionary at the time as it...
and the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
support in various ways. Individuals are invited to join the Heavy Rollers,wikitionary:heavy rollers a little joke suggesting that they possess money and propel the heavy roller used to flatten the cricket wicket. The Heavy Rollers are led by Head Groundsman, Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd
Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
, the ex-West Indies captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
and assistant head groundsmen, who are senior cricketers such as Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley
John Michael Brearley OBE is a former cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2007–08.-Early life:...
, Roland Butcher
Roland Butcher
Roland Butcher is a former English cricketer, who played in three Tests and three ODIs from 1980 to 1981...
, Donald Carr
Donald Carr
Donald Bryce Carr is a former English cricketer who played for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1967, for Oxford University from 1948 to 1951, and twice for England in 1951/52. He captained Derbyshire between 1955 and 1962, and scored over 10,000 runs for the county...
, Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
, Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
, Paul Downton
Paul Downton
Paul Downton is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty eight ODIs from 1977 to 1989. He was a wicket-keeper and a useful batsman in the lower middle-order...
, John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...
, Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...
, Angus Fraser
Angus Fraser
Angus Robert Charles Fraser is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and a former English cricketer and journalist....
, Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting
Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988...
, Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
, David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
, Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
, Tony Lewis
Tony Lewis
Anthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played county cricket for Glamorgan, and...
, Brian Luckhurst
Brian Luckhurst
Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...
, Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
, Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
and Don Wilson.
Others can join on the payment of a small contribution.
20th anniversary
In 2010 the charity celebrated its 20th anniversary. At a well attended bash at the HQ of Westminster City CouncilWestminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
, a celebration was held, attended by seven mayors of London Boroughs wearing their insignias of office – their mayoral chains – who informally and affectionately refer to themselves as the chain gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
.