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Blind Cricket a hit for Cricket Australia

Months of planning will finally come to fruition at the National All Abilities Championship

It’s less than a month before the inaugural National All Abilities Championships touch down in Melbourne - but you don’t have to tell the players that.

Months in the making, teams have been preparing feverishly for the tournament with one team even getting the opportunity to train at the BUPA National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

Blind Cricketers will also have the opportunity to showcase their skills, with a four-day competition dedicated to their medium – played on some of Victoria’s best school cricket grounds.

Some of Australia’s greatest cricketers including Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Michael Hussey have given blind cricket a go – aided by goggles to simulate relative blindness – and found that it was a hard skill to master.



"You've got to admire what they do … they're getting out there, having a go and not letting anything stop them,” McGrath said.

Having only the sound of the ball as guidance, blind cricketers must rely on timing and judgment to accumulate their runs.

Blind Cricket Divisional Tournament Director Troy King believes the implementation of the National All Abilities Championship as a whole is an extremely positive move by Cricket Australia.

“(The tournament) is a real step forward and proves that blind cricket is developing in leaps and bounds,” Mr King said.

The competition will encompass five states competing in Twenty20 matches for the Mark Turner and Steven Short Shield – named for two former blind cricketers and life members of the association.

Blind Cricket is becoming more prominent on the national scene with the recent Blind Cricket World Cup being played in South Africa as well as Australia sending an ‘A’ team to compete against New Zealand.

“These tournaments encourage kids to get involved and it is also a chance for parents to see their children take part in sports.”

A squad of blind cricketers will also take part in a demonstration match against Cricket Australia.

The Blind National Championships will be held at Caulfield Grammar School – Wheelers Hill Campus.

For more information on Blind Cricket click here.