Holyport Cricket Club chosen to launch ECB's 'Taste of Cricket' summer

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is preparing to launch a ‘Taste of Cricket’ campaign this summer, with the first of those events to take place at Holyport Cricket Club.

In conjuncture with its partner Remitly, the ECB is aiming to ‘Raise the Game’ by supporting up to 100 community clubs by bringing people together to enjoy food and cricket and the ritual match day ‘tea’.

Holyport will host the first of eight initial events on Sunday, June 30, with members of the community invited to enjoy a day of cricket from 9am before breaking for tea with recipes inspired by the club’s rich South African heritage.

This includes Braai burgers – typically locally sourced and seasoned with unique flavours – that nod to the impact of the many Holyport cricket players who hail from south of the equator. Another popular dish is the Holyport Mess – combining millionaire shortbread and pavlova – following an amusing incident where a glorious pavlova was dropped and served to unsuspecting club-mates as Eton Mess.

Each special match tea event will showcase different stories from the clubs and volunteers who are doing so much to inspire a positive change in the game and improve access to cricket.

Holyport was chosen to participate because of the work it has done to champion diversity within the club.

Until 2018, Holyport only had men’s teams, but in the past six years they’ve expanded their offering to provide opportunities for players of all abilities, genders and ages.

This is thanks to a small group of dedicated volunteers. The club also offers free cricket coaching for anyone with a disability or special educational need who is aged six and over - and the club hosts an annual Berkshire Disability Cricket Festival which more than 50 players from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey take part in.

Challenging the outdated stereotype of plain sandwiches and milky tea, the Taste of Cricket events will demonstrate the true variety of cuisines that are often shared by teams at clubs across the country.

Alistair Thompson, Chairman at Holyport Cricket Club notes, “We’re really looking forward to opening our doors to celebrate our work in making cricket a more open and inclusive sport for our local community. Food is an amazing vehicle to showcase the diversity within our club and wider community, and Taste of Cricket is an opportunity for us all to come together and take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come over some delicious food!”

Kate Miller, ​​​the ECB’s Chief Communications Officer comments, “Being one of the only sports that breaks play to eat, cricket and food are intrinsically linked. Holyport Cricket Club has a long history of welcoming players from all corners of the world, making the club a natural partner for our Taste of Cricket campaign. We look forward to celebrating this profound connection and the power it has to unite communities, both this summer with our Taste of Cricket event series, and beyond with the cookbook.”

Adil Rashid MBE, who last year marked his 100th T20 international appearance for England, added, “Food has always played a big part in my life - as someone of Pakistani heritage, some of my fondest memories are centred around mealtimes with family. So, to be a part of a sport that celebrates different cuisines and cultures in such a unique way is really special.

“One of my favourite things about touring is getting to try the incredible variation of match teas across the world, so I’m very much looking forward to sampling the eclectic mix of food enjoyed by communities across England and Wales with Taste of Cricket.”

Following all the summer festivities at clubs across the country, Taste of Cricket will unveil a cookbook to inspire cricket tea creativity at home. Two fans will also be offered the chance to submit their own recipe which will be featured in the book via www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.

The first eight Taste of Cricket events will be hosted by:

Holyport Cricket Club, Berkshire

Shepherds Bush Cricket Club, London

KRIMMZ Girls Youth Club, Bolton

Northampton County Cricket Club (African Caribbean Cricket Festival), Northamptonshire

Bushy Park Girls Cricket Club, Middlesex

Kings Cross Junior Cricket Club, Yorkshire

Llandaff Cricket Club, Cardiff

Exwick Cricket Club, Exeter

To stay up to date with ​​Taste of Cricket, visit: www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.

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The Money transfer remittance service, Remitly, are offering the chance for 100 community clubs to get in on the action this summer. Those selected will receive a Taste of Cricket hamper, including a supermarket voucher, picnic goodies, and recipes to supercharge their very own Taste of Cricket match tea.