Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2012

34 CAGE CRICKET The roots of Cage Cricket Sheffield Cricket Lovers’ Society Cage Cricket is a new ‘Street to Elite’ sporting opportunity and the brainchild of ex-Hampshire cricketer, Lawrence Prittipaul and his co- founder, Trevor McArdle who have spent over 5 years trialling and developing the concept. It is a unique combination of social enterprise and sporting entertainment, designed to create much needed participation opportunities for young people and adults, as well as presenting our national summer sport in a new and exciting format. Cage Cricket was born of the Streets. It was born of the same energy and resourcefulness that created our other ‘urban sports,’ an energy and resourcefulness that is central to Inner City life. When the Inner City wanted to surf but did not have access to the ocean, they created the skateboard and surfed the streets. When they wanted to re-create the excitement and competition of Motor Cross, but did not have access to expensive motor cycles, they took their bikes, adapted them, and BMX was born. Free Running and Parkour are gymnastics in an urban context using the buildings and railings of their immediate environment in place of the vault box and the bars of a gymnasium. Urban sports allow the inner city to participate in sport. They give the individual an identity and a position within a positive peer group in their community, channelling their energy and resources toward productive outcomes. When someone ‘pulls off’ a new trick or move, the whole group celebrates –the individual has status and a new found purpose. Street sports are open to all -run by the street for the street. Free runners, skate boarders and bikers do not wait for a coach or umpire to turn up and organise their sport. They never rely on a whistle being blown or a move being judged before they participate. Ownership is with those who partake. These core values of urban street sport – that they are open to all, adaptable to their environments, celebrated the individual, were self governing, inclusive, full of energy and resourcefulness with a unique language and culture of their own –are the same core values upon which Cage Cricket was founded. Cage Cricket is our latest Urban Sport.