Photo Credit: ECB
- The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today announced the launch of the Taste of Cricket campaign, supported by its new partner, money transfer remittance service, Remitly
- Part of the existing Raising The Game platform, designed to ensure everyone feels welcome to play and enjoy cricket, the campaign will celebrate the unique relationship the sport has with food, through the ‘match tea’ occasion, and its ability to bring communities together
- With Remitly’s sponsorship, the campaign will kick off with a host of cricket clubs opening up their doors to new and diverse communities in their area, with up to 100 more clubs across England and Wales invited to hold their own extra special match teas
- Following the summer festivities, Taste of Cricket will unveil a cookbook to inspire cricket tea creativity, and is offering fans the chance to submit their own recipe to be featured in the book
- To find out more and to share your recipe for the cookbook, visit www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today announced a new partner committed to helping advance cricket’s goal to become the most inclusive sport. Money transfer remittance service, Remitly, is supporting the ECB with the ‘Taste of Cricket’ campaign, launching today, which will see over 100 recreational clubs across England and Wales open up their doors to their local communities for a special match tea.
Through the language of food, each special match tea event will showcase different stories of community clubs and volunteers who are driving positive change within the game and improving access to recreational cricket. Beginning on Sunday 30th June, the first eight Taste of Cricket events will be hosted at:
- African Caribbean Cricket Festival, Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground – this event will be an exciting celebration of African Caribbean cricket, culture, food and music
- Bushy Park Girls Cricket Club, Middlesex – a club that has developed a thriving community of female cricketers of all ages
- Exwick Cricket Club, Exeter – a club that has contributed to important work in the region, including widening access to cricket for people seeking asylum and refuge
- Holyport Cricket Club, Berkshire – a club that has made immense progress in pioneering and developing disability cricket in the area
- Kings Cross Junior Cricket Club, Yorkshire – a club that has been instrumental in breaking down barriers to access for kids from lower socio-economic backgrounds
- KRIMMZ Girls Youth Club, Bolton – a youth centre offering a welcoming and supportive sports hub for women and children in the community, especially those from South Asian backgrounds
- Llandaff Cricket Club, Cardiff – a club that has built a thriving and inclusive community for its South Asian members and beyond, across men’s, women’s and kids’ cricket
- Shepherds Bush Cricket Club, London – a club that has done brilliant work engaging diverse communities in the area; on the day of the Taste of Cricket event there will be an African Caribbean Heritage Cricket match
Remitly will also be offering an additional 100 inspirational community clubs, who excel at promoting diversity and inclusion, an opportunity to get in on the action this summer. Participating clubs will receive a Taste of Cricket hamper, including a supermarket voucher, picnic goodies, and recipes to supercharge their very own Taste of Cricket match tea.
Challenging the outdated stereotype of plain sandwiches and milky tea, the Taste of Cricket events will demonstrate the true variety of cuisines that are often shared during community match teas across England and Wales. With dishes such as vegetable Elawalu Roti, hailing from Sri Lanka (served at Bushy Park Girls Cricket Club club), Braai Burgers, which sees locally sourced burgers seasoned with unique South African flavours (a Holyport Cricket Club favourite), and the ultimate leek bhaji, a delicious fusion of Welsh and Indian cuisines (on the menu at Llandaff Cricket Club) – Taste of Cricket will be a celebration of diversity within the sport.
Following the summer festivities and in time for Christmas gifting, the Taste of Cricket cookbook will launch, featuring a range of beloved classics and innovative twists on match tea recipes, crowdsourced from grassroots volunteers, cricket and foodie royalty, and famous fans of the game. The ECB is also offering cricket fans the chance for their match tea recipe to be included in the cookbook via www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.
Adil Rashid MBE, who last year marked his 100th T20 international appearance for England, said: “Food has always played a big part in my life – as someone of Pakistani heritage, some of my fondest memories are centred around mealtimes with family. So, to be a part of a sport that celebrates different cuisines and cultures in such a unique way is really special.
“One of my favourite things about touring is getting to try the incredible variation of match teas across the world, so I’m very much looking forward to sampling the eclectic mix of food enjoyed by communities across England and Wales with Taste of Cricket.”
Kate Miller, the ECB’s Chief Communications Officer, commented: “Being one of the only sports that breaks play to eat, cricket and food are intrinsically linked. We know that across England and Wales, an array of communities enjoy cricket and bring not only their own twist on the sport, such as the innovation of tape ball from the Pakistani community, but also their spin on the much-beloved match tea. We look forward to celebrating the profound connection between food and cricket and the brilliant work that recreational clubs are doing to drive inclusion and diversity across the game this summer and beyond.”
Pankaj Sharma, Chief Business Officer of Remitly, commented: “Remitly is excited to be a part of this unique event as the 2024 Taste of Cricket sponsor. As a brand that serves a global customer base, the mission to embrace diversity and support inclusion and human connection truly resonates. We look forward to the meaningful opportunity this partnership creates to deepen our relationships with customers through a shared experience, celebrating sport and cuisine from around the world.”
To stay up to date with Taste of Cricket, including details around events and the cookbook, please visit: www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.
