Bonus post: Lord’s Taverners in Scotland: cricket for everyone
Adam Richardson reports on the 'Wicketz' and the 'Super 1s' programmes which are delivering cricketing opportunities and positive life experiences to young people facing inequality
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THE Lord’s Taverners is a name familiar to most in cricket. For 75 years, the charity has raised funds to improve the lives of young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds – all through the power of cricket.
Its list of former presidents includes cricketing greats like David Gower and Mike Gatting, along with celebrities such as Eric Morecambe, Ronnie Corbett and Sir Terry Wogan. Even King Charles, then Prince of Wales, served as president in 1975–76 – a testament to the charity’s enduring legacy. Whilst Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh, is the current President.
Perhaps the most visible sign of their presence being the iconic meadow green buses – over 1,000 of these disability accessible minibuses have been donated since 1976 to support disabled communities across the UK.
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A quiet force in Scottish cricket
While the Lord’s Taverners is well known across the UK, its work in Scotland can remain under the radar.
This sense of operating just beneath the surface mirrors the story of Scottish cricket itself. Few realise there are more cricket clubs than rugby clubs in Scotland, with sides like Carlton CC in Edinburgh fielding up to six XIs in a single weekend – a contrast to rugby’s growing participation challenges in the amateur men's game.
Wicketz: a turning point
When Colin Crichton took over as regional chair in 2018, the Scottish branch focused largely on the Taverners buses and providing specialist equipment for disabled sport. Whilst these are still vital parts of their work, the scope has since developed into actively delivering cricketing opportunities and positive life experiences to young people facing inequality with the introduction of the Wicketz programme.
“After Mark Curtin became CEO, there was a conscious decision to use the cricket connection to go further down those routes,” Crichton explains. “To give him his credit, it has worked very well.”
Now, the Scottish Wicketz programme is growing fast thanks to the work of their development officers, Mohammad Afzal and Zain Muhammad in Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively, but also partnerships with schools and clubs that provide essential facilities.
I recently joined a Wicketz session being run by Afzal – or ‘Mo’ as he's almost universally known – at Fettes College.
“We started in 2023 with one hub at Liberton High School and just eight or nine kids,” says Afzal. “Within a year, we had three hubs and over 20 regulars at the bigger ones. Now, we’ve got five hubs in Edinburgh and four in Glasgow.”
Two of those hubs – in Springburn, Glasgow, and Craigroyston, Edinburgh – are exclusively for women and girls. And the Fettes hub is the programme’s first-ever hardball cricket site.
“Wicketz is meant to be all softball, but when this opportunity came up, it couldn’t be refused,” explains Afzal. “It helps kids stay in the programme longer and gives them a path into club cricket.”
As Crichton puts it: “If you push one door, three more open behind it.”
That ethos has led to a combined Wicketz and Super 1s (The Lord's Taverners disability cricket program) reach of around 250 regular participants – all accessing cricket they otherwise wouldn't.
Participation without barriers
Cricket is a game with natural barriers to entry. Expensive equipment, large playing areas and time commitment. Many of these can boil down to a high financial cost for potential participants and eager parents. But the cost for anyone attending Wicketz sessions? Nothing.
Afzal recently ran an ICC Level 1 coaching course for seven participants from the Edinburgh Wicketz program, which typically costs around £150. Their cost? Nothing.
"We decided to start giving initiatives to these young people," says Mo. "We asked them if they can come up with ideas on how they would like the sessions to be. Obviously, we can run a cricket session from our coaching experience, but they might have other ideas. Why not give them that voice and give them an opportunity to express themselves? These are their sessions after all."
With more coaches now working in the programme – including several trained through Wicketz – the focus can widen.
“Now we’ve got a pool of coaches, we can do more on the community side,” Mo explains. “It’s not just about showing up to train, then going home. That's not the full idea. It’s about going out into these communities and asking: what do these kids need?”
Super 1s: making cricket accessible to all
Disability cricket remains a key part of The Lord’s Taverners’ mission. In England, they aim to reach all 1,500 SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) schools. Cricket Scotland and Taverners Scotland are equally ambitious.
Their Super 1s hubs in Dundee & Angus, Falkirk and Edinburgh run year-round. Facilities are provided through vital partnerships with the likes of Strathmore CC, Forfar Academy, Trinity Academy and Fettes College – who have shown incredible support. Plans are in motion to expand to Perth, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Cricket Scotland will also run a four-week programme in ASN (Additional Support Needs) schools this year, delivering cricket – from softball to table cricket – across 28 schools.
Mike Wheatley, President of The Lord’s Taverners (Scotland) since 2022, explains the situation well: "We’re in the strongest position we’ve been in for a long time. There’s real momentum. I come down to the indoor nets for Super 1s at Fettes in winter and see kids and young adults with severe disabilities playing cricket. And that’s the brilliant thing. They really want to play this game."
Introducing people to cricket can be tough. But once they're in, the sport often keeps hold of them. It's a truly great thing about this game. That first entry point, though, is everything – and the Lord’s Taverners are providing it.
Support and awareness
While programmes like Wicketz and Super 1s are free for participants, they rely entirely on fundraising. Over their 75-year history, the Lord's Taverners has raised tens of millions of pounds for such programs. That support continues today.
The Final Word Cricket Podcast recently entered 50 runners in this year’s Edinburgh Marathon to raise £30,000. This is the third consecutive year they have done this and they estimate the funds raised could fund the Wicketz program in Scotland for seven years. Events like the Taverners’ Scotland Christmas Lunch, with previous guest speakers such as David Gower and Jonathan Agnew, can raise similar amounts.
Throughout summer, fundraising matches see Lord’s Taverners XIs play teams such as The Forty Club and MCC. At a recent fixture at Loretto College, three Wicketz graduates – Abdul Qadeer, Himmatullah Sultani and Dawletzai Tanai – proudly took the field.
Just £3 per month is enough to support a child’s weekly session. Donations can be made directly through The Lord’s Taverners website.
Crichton concludes: "Now that we have these wonderful programmes, it’s about reaching further into the cricket community. I don’t know if the cricket fraternity in Scotland realises what’s on the doorstep and how they can support the Tavs in Scotland to deliver these programmes. It is an area we will be looking at far more going forward.”
Wheatley agrees: “Our job is to assist Cricket Scotland in delivering these programmes and opportunities. Whilst fundraising is obviously imperative, we also just want as many people who love this game as possible to know about these opportunities that people like Mo and Zain are bringing to life."
