Oldham school feature in new cricket campaign alongside stars Jimmy Anderson and Heather Knight

England stars and a group of lucky school children from Oldham have joined forces to urge more kids to pick up a bat and ball - showcasing all the ways in which people play cricket, whether in the back garden, at school, in the park, in the street, on the beach or at their local club. 

England captains Ben Stokes and Heather Knight feature in a new video, alongside Men’s legend and record wicket-taker Jimmy Anderson and England Men’s Deaf team international Joel Harris.

In what is set to be a record year for kids’ participation in cricket, they appear alongside school children with the ambition of inspiring even more children to take up the sport, by giving their own perspectives on what cricket is to them, from playing in packed out stadiums to playing in the back garden with friends and family. 

Alongside the new video, the ECB has collaborated with the campaigning organisation Playing Out to raise awareness of how local communities can safely close roads for outside play, encouraging them to get active and enjoy the game safely even in areas where outdoor space is limited.

Links to Playing Out’s materials will be available through the ECB website to make it easier for communities to act. 

Featuring next to the England stars are children from Mayfield Primary School in Oldham, including Elliot, aged 9 and Olivia, aged 10 who share why they love cricket.

Elliot explains that he loves playing at his club because his teammates are so motivational, while Olivia likes playing cricket with her best friend Abigail, who says she is a really good bowler. 

In 2023, a record 1.1 million children were supported to play cricket by ECB and partner programmes, and 2024 is now on track to surpass this.  

Ahead of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the 2030 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, more investment than ever will go into grassroots cricket to maximise their impact to inspire the next generation. 

The ECB already invests £4 million each year to support the free delivery of cricket in schools via Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners, reaching 600,000 children, and working with every County Cricket Board across England and Wales.  

This number will now increase as, in April, following extensive discussions with the ECB, the Government announced a £35 million investment in grassroots cricket facilities and widening access to the sport within state schools, enabling over 900,000 young people to play cricket over the next five years. 

Beyond schools’ cricket, the ECB also funds or supports a range of other grassroots programmes which resulted in over a million children and young people playing the sport last year.

From the National Programmes of All Stars and Dynamos for 5-11 year olds, to support for charity partners such as ACE, Lord’s Taverners, Chance to Shine, SACA and the MCC Foundation, cricket programmes in communities cater for every ability, with a clear focus on making cricket more accessible and inclusive.  

The Play section of the ECB site contains support and materials for anyone who wants to get into cricket, or return to the sport, with information on clubs and community projects close to your home, materials for schools, or simply ideas on how you can play in the back garden or street.

Jimmy Anderson said: “Like every other kid in the country, I started playing at home by picking up a bat and a ball and giving it a go.

"I was lucky that my dad played and I went to watch him at the local club but now there are way more opportunities to give cricket a try, whether that is at school, or at home or out with your mates.

"I’d encourage any young boy or girl to give it a try and you never know where it can lead.” 

Olivia from Mayfield Primary said: “I like playing cricket with my best friend Abigail.

"Abigail’s a really good batter and she says that I’m a really good bowler.” 

Omari said: “What we like to do at my school, if it’s raining outside, is play quick cricket in the hall.

"If one of our best batters has been playing for ages, our sports teacher does his best to get him out.

"Then when it’s the teacher’s turn to play and we manage to get him out it makes us all scream!” 

Elliot said: “I play cricket at my cricket club, with my team mates, because they are motivational.

"On my street, we play on the road, and the ball can just go anywhere.

"In my garden the ball can go over the fence at any point.

"But, at my cricket club I can hit it as hard as I want because it is a big area.

"My favourite place to play is my garden because I get to play with my family and my brother.” 

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