Chance to Shine Street Match

Chance to Shine, one of our sponsored charities for 2016, have been carrying on the good work of coaching boys and girls across the country throughout the winter, spreading the power of cricket despite the soggy English weather.Their partner project, Chance to Shine Street also brings cricket into urban areas lacking green spaces for sports. Chance to Shine Street cricket is cricket with a difference: games are based on an exciting six-a-side format using a tape-ball – a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape – which can be played on hardcourts. It is inclusive and accessible with little equipment required and everyone has a chance to bat, bowl and field.In early March, Chance to Shine arranged for teams of MPs and Media representatives to take part in their very own Street cricket match. The match took place near Lord’s Cricket Ground and was a hard fought battle. There was plenty of spin on show and the game swung from one side to another, but in the end it was a landslide victory for the Media team.It has already been a year of milestones for the charity: in February representatives were invited to spend the evening at No 10 Downing Street to celebrate 10 years of bringing cricket to children in schools and areas without provision for sporting activities. A group of guests welcomed by Samantha Cameron included the charity’s 3 millionth participant, Ruby-Mae Hockham, a nine-year old from South London who was bitten by the cricket bug when a Chance to Shine coach visited her school earlier this year.In what promises to be an exceptional year for the charity, Chance to Shine also expects to reach its 12,000th state school and open its 150th community Street cricket project over the coming year.Read more about the Street match or the 10 year celebrations on Chance to Shine's website.