The cricket season may be coming to a close, but cricket in schools is set to restart after the summer break.
In partnership with Lord’s Taverners, the Devon Cricket Foundation will be continuing its offer of free cricket sessions for those in SEND settings in the 2026/27 academic year, writes Disability Cricket Officer Chris Brown.
Last year we had great success reaching 1,292 participants across the county, covering both softball cricket and table cricket formats. The free offer is for up to 20 hours of cricket sessions aimed at developing physical cricket and multi-skills, alongside wider skills such as teamwork, communication, confidence and independence.
We aim to make our sessions as accessible as possible for the pupils accessing them, and sessions can be either Table Cricket, softball cricket or a combination of both.
These sessions enable children and young people to access this brilliant sport, and we also encourage them to get involved with our Super 1s programme, a cricket programme run across Devon providing free weekly softball cricket sessions for young people aged 8-25 with a disability or SEN needs. If appropriate, there is also the County Disability Pathway for those wishing to represent Devon.
The feedback we received from our sessions last year was incredibly positive, highlighting the skills participants gained, the inclusive environment and the opportunity for pupils to access sport in an inclusive way.
"What started as an opportunity to try something new quickly became a highlight of the week for many of our pupils and staff. Over the six weeks, we saw huge improvements in confidence, skill development, teamwork, communication and resilience.
"Most excitingly, we’ve discovered a few budding cricketers who are now keen to continue exploring how they can get involved in these fantastic adapted sports."
"Chris was incredible throughout the programme. He took the time to get to know each pupil, understanding what they enjoyed, what they found challenging, and most importantly, recognising what they were capable of achieving.
"Every session was adapted to ensure everyone could participate, succeed and have fun. His enthusiasm, energy and encouragement created an environment where every pupil felt included and valued."
"The sessions struck the perfect balance between learning new skills, working together as a team and enjoying a little healthy competition. Watching pupils grow in confidence week after week has been truly rewarding, and I couldn’t be prouder of everything they have achieved."
As ever, we are incredibly grateful to our partners at Lord's Taverners, who continue to support inclusive sporting opportunities that enable disabled young people to access and enjoy cricket.
2026/27 School Competitions and Festivals
| Competition / Festival | Date | Venue |
| Table Cricket Local Festivals | January 2027 | Local Venues |
| Table Cricket Regional Finals | Tuesday, 2 February 2027 | Devon Cricket Centre EX4 4QN |
| South West Table Cricket Finals | Late February/Early March 2027 | Devon Cricket Centre EX4 4QN |
| Table Cricket National Finals | June/July 2027 | Lord's Cricket Ground |
| Table Cricket Regional Finals | Tuesday, 2 February 2027 | Devon Cricket Centre EX4 4QN |
| Regional Softball Finals (New!) | May 2027 | TBC |
| South West Softball Finals | June 2027 | TBC |
| National Softball Finals | July 2027 | TBC |
Contact
Get in touch with Chris about our SEND Schools offer:
chris.brown@devoncricket.co.uk
07498 751676
