The Bell of the Ball
As we prepare to settle into another nail-biting cricketing episode, this time following England’s World Cup in the Caribbean, we should heed the example of teamwork championed by England’s blind cricketers at their recent World Cup in Pakistan
On 14 December last year, a parched, dusty wicket in the heat of Islamabad played host to England’s blind cricketers, who succumbed to the might of India in the semi-finals of blind cricket’s third World Cup. The record-equalling third place achieved – largely unheralded by the British sports media – was all the more remarkable when one considers the gulf between domestic English rules and international rules, which, drawn up eleven years ago, favour the richer, more powerful sub-continent sides.
Blind cricket has been growing in Britain since the 1940s, and, having been developed independently overseas, the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) was formed in 1996. As a football obsessed nation, the domestic game evolved using a football, with ball bearings, or small bells stitched inside, thus allowing players to react to the sound of the ball.
When the international rules were chalked up, however, the committee leaned away from footballs, and more towards the game played by the majority of other founding nations. Pakistan and India, in particular, were influential in promoting their style of domestic cricket; a game that used a heavier, traditionally sized plastic ball with a ridge-like-seam, ideal for spinners, and more restrictive for batsmen.
The WBCC ruled that players be split into three categories: B3 for those with good partial vision; B2 a greyer category for those with tunnel vision, or no central vision; and B1, where players have very little sight, if any. Each team must, at any one time, have at least four B1 cricketers on the pitch.
India and Pakistan’s superiority in the world game is well founded. As well as being government funded and supported – most blind cricket games are televised – they have a plethora of visually impaired players to call upon.
Nathan Foy, an ebullient England batsman and fielder, who competes as a B1 player, explains: "Pakistan have hundreds and hundreds of visually impaired people playing cricket to pick from, and there are thousands in India.
"In England there are about 250 people playing domestic cricket, and of those there are only 40, or so, who are interested in the international game because it’s so different."
Add into the mix the fact that, on the eve of the World Cup, the Indian squad attended a three-week training camp, only trumped by the host nation Pakistan, whose team took part in a three-month practice camp. "We would never be able to do that," laments Nathan. "But imagine how good we would be if we did," he grins. When put into context, England’s performance was tantamount to firing slingshots against giants.
For England to win the World Cup, it would be equivalent to beating a machine-drilled All Blacks rugby union side, having been playing rugby league all year. Even so, there was an air of disappointment at finishing third, such is the ambition and optimism in England’s close-knit ranks. Belief and togetherness can go a long way.
"Our lack of numbers is limiting, but it does mean we put a lot more effort into finding new players," continues Nathan, who, at 26, is one of England’s leading lights in blind cricket, both on and off the pitch. A full-time charity worker in Cardiff, Nathan puts in a lot of time, effort and money into spreading the popularity of the sport, attending and organising what he calls, "have-a-go games," and coaching.
He is the ideal advocate. Smart, witty and with an unquestionable talent – at the World Cup in 2002, his first, he smashed a current world record 232 against Pakistan, immediately after taking 152 off India’s bowling attack – Nathan is usually at the heart of the jocular banter. It is through this patter that the great team spirit and camaraderie are formed, and in turn it makes the game more appealing and accessible. There is a seriousness, a definite focus and goal, but it is heavily layered with bags of fun.
"The best thing about our cricket is that we try to keep the pressure off as much as possible," Nathan explains. "We try to make it enjoyable, so part of that is the humour." The humour manifests itself through wacky companionship. Before any tour the squad convenes at the airport all wearing fancy dress. For the World Cup it was blonde peroxide hair and mohawks, and on previous tours they have all worn gladiator costumes – "not good for the metal detectors," concedes Nathan – grown moustaches and sucked on bubble-pipes.
In the field tactics are important, more so than in "red-ball cricket". In a game where catches are rare – in England’s successful 2004 Ashes series ("we started the winning trend," Nathan prompts) there were only eight catches in five Test matches – run limitation is paramount. Positioning of fielders is key. For example, someone with tunnel vision should be positioned fairly straight, either at mid-on or mid-off. Conversely those with no central vision are useful either at mid-wicket or deep cover.
To make things easier Nathan has developed a style of fielding which is exciting and positive. The techniques have witty names, of course. ‘Clown feet’ is employed by bowlers who, having bowled, spread their feet in order to halt a ball hit straight back at them. All fielders use the ‘banana stop’. If a ball is hit towards them on the ground, a player will recline, lying supine, arching his body and stretching his arms and legs straight out in order to have the best chance of stopping the ball. The techniques seem to work though, as Nathan was awarded $200 and a trophy for being the best B1 fielder at the World Cup.
Batting also depends on trust, calculated risk and teamwork. The batsmen have to use teammates as runners, in the same way that an injured batsman in red-ball cricket will. Most batsmen, frustratingly, are run-out by their runner. Nathan was unlucky at the World Cup – he was run-out four times in his five innings. After coming in at three against India in the semi-final Nathan was run-out in the 30s, and England never got going. Their target of only 209 was easily attainable in India’s allotted 40 overs.
"Out of the 25 or so innings I have had, I’ve been run-out about 15 times and not out four," says Nathan. "It can be frustrating, but when you have a good runner who looks after your wicket then that’s important. The runner also plays another very crucial role: he tells the batsman where the fielders are."
England’s captain, South African-born Heinrich Swanepoel, was named best runner at the World Cup. He also holds the accolade for playing in every one of England’s international games, and is the most capped blind cricketer in the world. (Heinrich, clearly a talented sportsman, also gained a silver medal in the javelin for Great Britain in the Paralympic games.)
Heinrich’s record number of appearances is set to increase as, unlike in the red-ball game, players can continue to play for much longer, well into their 40s and sometimes beyond. "We took two granddads to the World Cup," says Nathan. "Dave Townley was 55 at the World Cup but he was probably our best B1 bowler. I could play on for another 20 years."
That prospect is good for blind cricket in England, as Nathan’s effervescence and enthusiasm for the game has brought it on leaps and bounds. The team only began touring seven years ago, and although sponsored by the ECB and Sightsavers International – who pay their airfare – blind cricket is still under funded, and the facilities are poor.
"We’re about 10 or 15 years behind the women’s game," Nathan suggests. Domestic pitches are sub-standard, and it’s only very rarely that the international team are afforded the privilege of playing on first-class wickets. The Rose Bowl, home of Hampshire CC, and Worcester CC’s New Road have been used a handful of times, but as Nathan says, "we’re hoping to be able to play on the main square at Lords one day; that’s the dream. I’m told that there are plans afoot to make that happen."
Meanwhile England will continue recruiting for the next World Cup, which – again – is likely to be hosted by either India or Pakistan. There is much to be encouraged by. Teenagers Sam Murray, Luke Sugg and Dan Field, who was named wicketkeeper of the World Cup, and awarded $2000, had impressive tournaments, and will only improve. Opening batsman Andy Power is also just 20-years-old, and showed his precocity by hitting 50 against India in the semi-final.
"For us to come third against these countries who play this form of cricket constantly is fantastic," considers Nathan. "We’re fighting an uphill battle in international cricket. We’re just not used to it, as we don’t play using these rules week in, week out. But we’re always gaining on the other sides. I think we can become world champions."
With a team blessed with such talent, wit and togetherness, who would bet against England’s blind cricketers – slingshots, fancy dress, and all – winning in 2010? "We have beaten India and Pakistan in the past and we know how to beat them again," offers Nathan. "I think we’re on track."
As we prepare to settle into another nail-biting cricketing episode, this time following England’s World Cup in the Caribbean, we should heed the example of teamwork championed by England’s blind cricketers at their recent World Cup in Pakistan
On 14 December last year, a parched, dusty wicket in the heat of Islamabad played host to England’s blind cricketers, who succumbed to the might of India in the semi-finals of blind cricket’s third World Cup. The record-equalling third place achieved – largely unheralded by the British sports media – was all the more remarkable when one considers the gulf between domestic English rules and international rules, which, drawn up eleven years ago, favour the richer, more powerful sub-continent sides.
Blind cricket has been growing in Britain since the 1940s, and, having been developed independently overseas, the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) was formed in 1996. As a football obsessed nation, the domestic game evolved using a football, with ball bearings, or small bells stitched inside, thus allowing players to react to the sound of the ball.
When the international rules were chalked up, however, the committee leaned away from footballs, and more towards the game played by the majority of other founding nations. Pakistan and India, in particular, were influential in promoting their style of domestic cricket; a game that used a heavier, traditionally sized plastic ball with a ridge-like-seam, ideal for spinners, and more restrictive for batsmen.
The WBCC ruled that players be split into three categories: B3 for those with good partial vision; B2 a greyer category for those with tunnel vision, or no central vision; and B1, where players have very little sight, if any. Each team must, at any one time, have at least four B1 cricketers on the pitch.
India and Pakistan’s superiority in the world game is well founded. As well as being government funded and supported – most blind cricket games are televised – they have a plethora of visually impaired players to call upon.
Nathan Foy, an ebullient England batsman and fielder, who competes as a B1 player, explains: "Pakistan have hundreds and hundreds of visually impaired people playing cricket to pick from, and there are thousands in India.
"In England there are about 250 people playing domestic cricket, and of those there are only 40, or so, who are interested in the international game because it’s so different."
Add into the mix the fact that, on the eve of the World Cup, the Indian squad attended a three-week training camp, only trumped by the host nation Pakistan, whose team took part in a three-month practice camp. "We would never be able to do that," laments Nathan. "But imagine how good we would be if we did," he grins. When put into context, England’s performance was tantamount to firing slingshots against giants.
For England to win the World Cup, it would be equivalent to beating a machine-drilled All Blacks rugby union side, having been playing rugby league all year. Even so, there was an air of disappointment at finishing third, such is the ambition and optimism in England’s close-knit ranks. Belief and togetherness can go a long way.
"Our lack of numbers is limiting, but it does mean we put a lot more effort into finding new players," continues Nathan, who, at 26, is one of England’s leading lights in blind cricket, both on and off the pitch. A full-time charity worker in Cardiff, Nathan puts in a lot of time, effort and money into spreading the popularity of the sport, attending and organising what he calls, "have-a-go games," and coaching.
He is the ideal advocate. Smart, witty and with an unquestionable talent – at the World Cup in 2002, his first, he smashed a current world record 232 against Pakistan, immediately after taking 152 off India’s bowling attack – Nathan is usually at the heart of the jocular banter. It is through this patter that the great team spirit and camaraderie are formed, and in turn it makes the game more appealing and accessible. There is a seriousness, a definite focus and goal, but it is heavily layered with bags of fun."The best thing about our cricket is that we try to keep the pressure off as much as possible," Nathan explains. "We try to make it enjoyable, so part of that is the humour." The humour manifests itself through wacky companionship. Before any tour the squad convenes at the airport all wearing fancy dress. For the World Cup it was blonde peroxide hair and mohawks, and on previous tours they have all worn gladiator costumes – "not good for the metal detectors," concedes Nathan – grown moustaches and sucked on bubble-pipes.
In the field tactics are important, more so than in "red-ball cricket". In a game where catches are rare – in England’s successful 2004 Ashes series ("we started the winning trend," Nathan prompts) there were only eight catches in five Test matches – run limitation is paramount. Positioning of fielders is key. For example, someone with tunnel vision should be positioned fairly straight, either at mid-on or mid-off. Conversely those with no central vision are useful either at mid-wicket or deep cover.
To make things easier Nathan has developed a style of fielding which is exciting and positive. The techniques have witty names, of course. ‘Clown feet’ is employed by bowlers who, having bowled, spread their feet in order to halt a ball hit straight back at them. All fielders use the ‘banana stop’. If a ball is hit towards them on the ground, a player will recline, lying supine, arching his body and stretching his arms and legs straight out in order to have the best chance of stopping the ball. The techniques seem to work though, as Nathan was awarded $200 and a trophy for being the best B1 fielder at the World Cup.
Batting also depends on trust, calculated risk and teamwork. The batsmen have to use teammates as runners, in the same way that an injured batsman in red-ball cricket will. Most batsmen, frustratingly, are run-out by their runner. Nathan was unlucky at the World Cup – he was run-out four times in his five innings. After coming in at three against India in the semi-final Nathan was run-out in the 30s, and England never got going. Their target of only 209 was easily attainable in India’s allotted 40 overs.
"Out of the 25 or so innings I have had, I’ve been run-out about 15 times and not out four," says Nathan. "It can be frustrating, but when you have a good runner who looks after your wicket then that’s important. The runner also plays another very crucial role: he tells the batsman where the fielders are."
England’s captain, South African-born Heinrich Swanepoel, was named best runner at the World Cup. He also holds the accolade for playing in every one of England’s international games, and is the most capped blind cricketer in the world. (Heinrich, clearly a talented sportsman, also gained a silver medal in the javelin for Great Britain in the Paralympic games.)
Heinrich’s record number of appearances is set to increase as, unlike in the red-ball game, players can continue to play for much longer, well into their 40s and sometimes beyond. "We took two granddads to the World Cup," says Nathan. "Dave Townley was 55 at the World Cup but he was probably our best B1 bowler. I could play on for another 20 years."
That prospect is good for blind cricket in England, as Nathan’s effervescence and enthusiasm for the game has brought it on leaps and bounds. The team only began touring seven years ago, and although sponsored by the ECB and Sightsavers International – who pay their airfare – blind cricket is still under funded, and the facilities are poor.
"We’re about 10 or 15 years behind the women’s game," Nathan suggests. Domestic pitches are sub-standard, and it’s only very rarely that the international team are afforded the privilege of playing on first-class wickets. The Rose Bowl, home of Hampshire CC, and Worcester CC’s New Road have been used a handful of times, but as Nathan says, "we’re hoping to be able to play on the main square at Lords one day; that’s the dream. I’m told that there are plans afoot to make that happen."Meanwhile England will continue recruiting for the next World Cup, which – again – is likely to be hosted by either India or Pakistan. There is much to be encouraged by. Teenagers Sam Murray, Luke Sugg and Dan Field, who was named wicketkeeper of the World Cup, and awarded $2000, had impressive tournaments, and will only improve. Opening batsman Andy Power is also just 20-years-old, and showed his precocity by hitting 50 against India in the semi-final.
"For us to come third against these countries who play this form of cricket constantly is fantastic," considers Nathan. "We’re fighting an uphill battle in international cricket. We’re just not used to it, as we don’t play using these rules week in, week out. But we’re always gaining on the other sides. I think we can become world champions."
With a team blessed with such talent, wit and togetherness, who would bet against England’s blind cricketers – slingshots, fancy dress, and all – winning in 2010? "We have beaten India and Pakistan in the past and we know how to beat them again," offers Nathan. "I think we’re on track."
- Go to http://www.blindcricket.org.uk/ for more information.
- Photographs provided by Jo Clay
Labels: Blind cricket, cricket, Cricket World Cup, Nathan Foy
