Somerset looking for visually impaired players to form a county team

The England Blind cricket team will be spending two days at the County Ground next weekend preparing for their forthcoming overseas tour to India, and all visually impaired people in the region are invited to go along on Sunday September 15th to get a taste of the game for themselves.

Earlier this season England player Tim Gutteridge came down to the ground and so impressed Andrew Moulding that the Somerset Cricket Development Officer is now keen to try to get a county side together.

He told me: "This invitation is open to all visually impaired people in the B1 B2 and B3 categories and we are hoping for a good response. The game is played with a size three football which is filled with ball bearings. The bowling is underarm and the ball has to pitch twice before reaching the batsman."

Mr Moulding continued: "This is a huge opportunity for us to expand our disabled cricket activity, and we hope we get enough interest from next Sunday to get a side together for Somerset."

The cricket development officer is also hoping to arrange a cricket match next season between the England Blind team and Somerset CCC, with the game being played to blind cricket rules and the Somerset players having to wear special glasses to impair them visually.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the visually impaired cricket day next weekend should contact Mr Moulding at the Centre of Excellence on 01823 352266.