Photo Credit: Marylebone Cricket Club
The Hundred teamed up with Official Team Partner KP Snacks this week to launch an initiative funding brand new community cricket pitches to give back to local communities and encourage more people to get active through cricket.
Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh joined former England player and TV presenter Isa Guha along with big names from The Hundred such as Anya Shrubsole, Reece Topley and Tammy Beaumont for a cricket session along with members from the local communities at Broadwater Farm, Tottenham at one of the first pitches to be installed as part of the KP Snacks ‘Everyone In’ campaign.
“If I’m totally honest, this is the first time I’ve ever played Cricket, but I had such a good time,” Walsh said after the session. “I’m always thinking of new, creative ways I can keep me and my family healthy and active, and this is certainly one. The introduction of these new pitches across England & Wales is fantastic and I encourage all families to go to a pitch near them and give Cricket a try.”
Over the next three years and in collaboration with the ECB, 100 non-turf cricket pitches will be installed or refurbished throughout England and Wales at sites near each of the team cities linked to The Hundred.
“Cricket is such a great way to keep active and a fun opportunity to get your friends and family involved whether it is playing in the back garden or down at your local park,” Guha adds. “The KP Snacks Community Pitches is a brilliant initiative as it means better access for everyone and anyone who wants to either try cricket for the first time or keep playing.”
Suitable areas were identified by assessing against key measures of population reach and bringing cricket to those who may not have had access to facilities previously or whose facilities have degenerated over time.
35 pitches will be installed and ready to use and play on this year, with the remaining completed over the next two years, and they will be maintained and run by the local council within each borough.
The initiative will significantly help local communities, offering better access to sport for more people as part of a commitment to get people active through cricket over the course of KP Snacks’ five-year partnership with The Hundred.
Name of Author: The Hundred
The Hundred is a 100-ball cricket tournament featuring teams from major cities across England and Wales, organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It was first held in 2021.
