Friday 13th September saw the latest instalment of the ECB run Disability Premier League (DPL) final at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Wokingham CC’s Anthony Clapham was the captain of the Pirates as they took on the Tridents in the Welsh capital.
The DPL is the highest domestic competition for Disability Cricket in England and Wales. The best players from the Learning Disability (LD), Physical Disability (PD) and Deaf teams all come together to represent four different teams over the course of the season.
This year’s final couldn’t have gone any better for the Pirates as they brought home the trophy for the first time, winning by 32 runs. Clapham topped scored for his side hitting a terrific 55 off 49 balls. The game was showcased live on Sky Sports before England Men took on Australia in their T20I match.
The pathway for disabled cricketers to go on and represent their country is one that is now well established in England & Wales. Opportunities from soft ball cricket (Super 1’s hubs) to County Cricket hard ball are available all over the country. 2025 will see Berkshire continue its journey of offering cricket for all, with more hubs and hard ball opportunities as well as more cricket delivered in Special Educational Needs schools around the county.