5 December 2011
Capita Symonds has been appointed by a consortium led by Sir Ian
Botham to advise on the development and roll out of ‘Cage Cricket’,
a new sport aimed at towns and cities across the UK.
Cage Cricket is a new, exciting,
fast-paced urban form of cricket which embraces the core values of
‘street’ sport – creativity, inclusiveness, adaptability and
identity. Designed to develop core life and social skills as well
as cricketing competence, the game will play an integral role in
breaking down traditional barriers to sports participation for
young people. It will also become a key tool for outreach and
development organisations working across education, health and
social inclusion.
Devised specifically to be played in urban
areas where there is a lack of local playing areas and few
opportunities to join a local cricket club, Cage Cricket has
already been successfully piloted in schools and communities in the
UK.
The game is played by six players for 50
minutes in a basketball sized court, such as a Multi-Use Games Area
(MUGA) or similar. There are currently over 12,500 MUGAs and over
10,000 disused tennis courts and many sports halls within the UK
which are readily accessible to host the game.
Cage Cricket is easy to play. Each player
takes one of six zones in the ‘cage’ per over (batting, bowling,
fielding etc). Points are scored in all positions - by the batter
hitting the numbered target zones on the walls, by the bowler
taking wickets and by the fielders for taking catches. Crucially,
every player gets equal time in each of the six zones with the
winner being the player who has accumulated the most points at the
end of the game.
An interactive website - http://www.cagecricket.com/ -
will be used as a virtual hub for players and organisers of the
game while social networking will play a key part in organising
matches and engaging with the playing community (ownership of the
game will be in the hands of the playing community not a governing
body).
The brainchild of ex Hampshire cricket star
Lawrence Prittipaul and Trevor McArdle, Cage Cricket already has a
number of high profile supporters (as well as world cricket legend
and ICC Hall of Fame member Sir Ian Botham): the West Indies most
capped Test player and ICC World Cricketer of the Year Shivnarine
Chanderpaul; Pakistan great Shahid Afridi; and Australia’s Brett
Lee. Trustees of the charity include Lord Hutton, Lord Patel, actor
Colin Salmon and a range of other influential backers who bring a
wealth of experience of sport, business and social development work
to Cage Cricket.
Sir Ian Botham said: “I have come across many cricket initiatives in my
time as a player and as a commentator but Cage Cricket is the best
I have ever seen. It is a fresh new approach to the game and
something that is fun, exciting and competitive. If someone can go
from beach cricket to playing for the West Indies, then why can’t
we have a vehicle that does the same in our urban areas? I think
Cage Cricket is it.”
For videos on the game visit:
For further information contact Tom Pinnington
a) The Game
Players: Six
Duration: 50 minutes / 30 overs
The
Rules:
- Each player takes one of six zones in the
cage - batting, bowling or one of four fielding zones (including
the Red Zone) - per ‘over’ (six balls).
- All players can score points at any one time.
The batter scores by hitting the numbered target zones on the walls
of the cage (without being caught).
- The bowler can get the batter out by hitting
the wicket or ‘out’ marker, while fielders can catch the batter out
directly or one handed off the wall of the cage.
- The winner is the player with the most points
after 30 overs.
Red Zone:The most vital part of Cage
Cricket. Ownership of the game is with the players, and the Red
Zone is where all the game’s decisions are made. It ensures that
the game is run in a smooth and fair manner without the need of an
external umpire or referee, and encourages educational, social and
ethical development of individuals and the group as a whole.
Skills: Cage Cricket is designed to
promote the best ‘cricketing values’ including:
- Leadership – decisions in the red zone are
final;
- Respect – only the individual within the
Red Zone can make decisions;
- Communication – breaking the barrier of
communication with others;
- Concentration / Focus – understanding the
rules of the game.
Progression:
There is a key development pathway associated with Cage Cricket –
the ‘Street to Elite’ concept. The Elite form of the game, which
includes an arena based ‘King of the Cage’ entertainment spectacle
involving some of cricket’s biggest names, is an aspirational
target for street players, where they can complete with world class
cricketers.
b) How to get involved
There are three entry positions:
i) Purchasing a Cage Cricket kit and
starter pack for £1,000 (plus VAT). This includes the pitch overlay
that can be used to adapt a basket ball court sized gymnasium in
any school or community facility. The adaptation is temporary and
can be removed and packed away afterwards, and so can also be used
for more than one facility. The package includes a one day course
for up to twelve individuals on the game and its’ values, and a
further development session. The kit also includes bats, balls, and
scoreboard.
ii) Permanent adaptation of a MUGA for
£3,000 plus VAT. This will enabled Cage Cricket to be played
alongside basketball and five-a-side football.
iii) Conversion of a MUGA into fully coloured
facility at a cost of £5,000 plus VAT. This will still enable the
facility to be used for the existing sports, but will create a
strong Cage Cricket image and make it much more compelling to the
intended user.