Records suggest that Walking Football was invented in 2011, Walking Cricket and Walking Rugby appeared to follow four or five years later.

All appear to be growing in popularity, mainly but not inclusively, for those over fifty and people with limited mobility. The cricket version can be played indoors or outdoors, is open to all abilities, creed, and sex, and is ideal in helping anyone who wants to stay active in a fun, pressure free environment. A ball that is softer than a traditional cricket ball, and plastic bats and stumps, means that there is no need for expensive protective equipment.

Cricket has always been known for the social side of the game with mid game teas unique to the sport, and chatting over a tea or coffee after a Walking Cricket session is another reason for the growth of the slower paced version.

In Kent, the Kent Cricket Foundation are working alongside various charities to make the sport available throughout the county. There are currently ten different hubs from the north to the south of Kent which hold weekly sessions. A four team league has been set up for those wanting a little more serious games with Folkestone, Mersham (near Ashford), Sandwich and Street End (on the outskirts of Canterbury) participating.

On 12th May, an all day Walking Cricket event took place as part of the Beckenham Festival on Foundation Engagement Day. Six teams participated, each playing two matches on the outfield of the County Ground.

As the game is played in a more compact area, three games could take place at the same time and at the end of the first round, a traditional cricket tea (plus more) was taken. Then the teams went out to play another side. To determine the winners, an aggregate of the runs scored over the two matches was calculated with a short award service after the event.

Overall, the event was a great success with members of the various teams getting to know other like minded souls. Discussions included the captain of the Bromley team talking to his counterparts at Bexley and Greenwich with a view to arranging matches between them.

You can find out more about the Walking Cricket Programme at https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/foundation-projects/50-overs-programme/walking-cricket/

Images courtesy of Kent Cricket Foundation