Hi everyone. Although the season is fast coming to an end there is still time to participate in Blind and Vision impaired Cricket. The Saturday morning student program and the Saturday afternoon club competition are still in progress with the final day on Saturday 4th March. The grand final for of the club competition will be held over two days on Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of March with play commencing at 10:00am each day.
This season’s domestic fixture has been a busy one with not only the club competition but also the T-20 introductory matches as well as Friday night social cricket.
At the elite level we have seen Cricket Australia’s inaugural National Cricket Inclusion Championships (NCIC) in Geelong with Australian Championships involving most states in Blind, Deaf and Intellectually Disabled divisions. The NCIC has only been possible through the combination of a number of organizations including Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria, The Victorian State Government, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), The Commonwealth Bank, the Greater Geelong Council, Deakin University (Geelong Campus), the Geelong Cricket Association plus Numerous cricket clubs and their members and volunteers. The package that has been put together is for this event to be run in Geelong for three years from 2017 to 2019. It has provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase all forms of disability cricket and Blind Cricket in particular. In the Blind Division, although Victoria made it through to the final, unfortunately, the combined South Australian / Western Australian Team (SAWA) prevailed over Victoria to take home the silverware.
Following the conclusion of the NCIC on 24th January, the Australian Squad flew out to India where they competed in the Blind Cricket World Cup from 28th January to the 12th February. The Squad played 9 matches in 10 days against the best teams in the world winning 4 out of their 9 matches to finish 6th, behind India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and ahead of West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand.
2017 marks the beginning of a significant time for Blind Cricket. As part of the funding package announced last year by Cricket Australia and their sponsors, from July 1 2017, all Australian Blind Cricketers competing in international events will become fully funded making Blind Cricket the only blind sport where international athletes are fully funded. This represents a radical departure from previous international events where the athletes have had to be self funded. Thanks to the initiatives of Cricket Australia and their partners cricket really has become #asportforall.
There has never been a better time to become involved in blind cricket especially as Victorian Blind Cricket, the world birth place and home of Blind Cricket, approaches its centenary year in 2022. To celebrate this Milestone preparations are underway to host a Blind Cricket World Cup being in Melbourne in 2022. This will present an amazing opportunity not only to showcase the best blind cricketers from around the world but for a special group of young Australians to be part of a landmark experience.
To see for yourself how Blind Cricket is played and for a chance to meet some of our amazing Australian players, please enjoy the below media links from various sources.
If you would like to find out more about blind cricket, please visit our
website at www.vbca.org,au or contact us by email at secretary@vbca.org.au or by phone on 0401 718 926 and see for yourself how blind cricket truly is #asportforall.
Blind Cricket Video Links
Blind Cricket Explained
Ever wondered how people play Blind Cricket? Australian players Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill explain how Blind Cricket works and how the blind and vision impaired can play making cricket truly #asportforall.
https://www.facebook.com/CricketAustralia/videos/1905792846317900/
The Blind Teacher
She normally gives lessons in the class room but now she is giving them on the field showing the boys how it is done. Come and meet Christine Casey, the sole female in the Victorian and Australian Blind Cricket Squads as she prepares for the Australian National Cricket Inclusion Championships in
Geelong and the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in India.
https://www.facebook.com/CricketAustralia/videos/1907546856142499/
The Fast Bowler
He’s young, he’s blind and wow he’s fast! Meet the opening bowler for the Australian and Victorian Blind and Vision Impaired teams Daniel Pritchard. He fires them down at more than 100km/h!
https://www.facebook.com/CricketAustralia/videos/1906901119540406/
The Victorian Squad
See the Victorian Squad go through their pre-match warm ups before they strut their stuff and show case their cricketing skills.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2fyprtx4s6ajv7/CA%20NCIC%2022_01_17%20-%20CHRISTI NE%20CASEY%20VNR.mp4?dl=0
Highlights – 2017 NCIC Blind Division Final
After 4 days and 6 rounds of hard fought competition, South Australia / Western Australia (SAWA) and Victoria slug it out to see who will be crowned champion in the 2017 NCIC Blind Division Final
https://www.facebook.com/CricketAustralia/videos/1908633769367141/?pnref=story
Australian Blind Cricket Squad Prepares for the 2017 T-20 Blind Cricket World Cup in India
The Australian Blind Cricket team is on its way to India for the Blind T20 World Cup. What are their chances? We asked some of their coaches and star players.
https://www.facebook.com/CricketAustralia/videos/1909248299305688/
New Caps
Many dream of a chance to play cricket for Australia and for a select few that dream comes true. Come and meet the new Australian debutants Ned Brewer-Maiga (Victoria), Stefan Nero (Western Australia) and Jack McAlister (Queensland) as they are presented with their very own coveted Baggy Green
as they prepare for their very first matches for Australia.
https://www.facebook.com/aaron.dragwidge/posts/10158136162715384
https://www.facebook.com/aaron.dragwidge/posts/10158164777885384:1
Highlights – England V Australia
The rivalry in cricket between Australia and England is something that transcends almost anything else in the sporting world. There is little else more satisfying than walloping the POMS at cricket. It’s always a great hard fought contest and win lose or draw nothing is given away for free. Come and watch the Aussies do battle with the old foe to see who comes out on top in this encounter.
https://www.ecb.co.uk/tv/327983
The Australian Team Song
The team song is only sung when victory is achieved. But when victory does come, the song is sung with all the passion and gusto that truly represents the spirit of Australian Cricket.
https://www.facebook.com/aaron.dragwidge/posts/10158136859385384
Time Out for the Australians in Bangalore
Having not made the finals the 2017 T20 Blind Cricket World is now over for the Australians. It’s now time to let off some steam and have some fun. But even when taking some much needed R and R this bunch of testosterone charged elite level athletes are still super competitive. Get the view from the
driver’s seat of totally blind Michael Zannis as he and other members of the Australian Blind Cricket Team do six sizzling hot laps at the Bangalore Go Kart track. Is there nothing that these amazing guys can’t do?
https://www.facebook.com/moxly/videos/10155068673469169/
