Teams from across Perth came together at Murdoch University for WA Cricket’s annual Belt Up Gala Day.
The Gala provides an opportunity to compete against other teams in a modified format, while building participant independence and celebrating the spirit of cricket.
“It’s great to combine all our integrated cricket teams, both youth and seniors, to celebrate inclusion,” said Fiona Cumming, Participation and Diversity Manager at WA Cricket.
“We had sixteen teams here, with players aged from ten to fifty years old. It’s a fantastic example of how truly accessible our game can be, for absolutely anyone.”
The Integrated Cricket League (ICL), supported by the Insurance Commission’s Belt Up road safety awareness campaign, is a key part of the community cricket landscape across WA.
The community-focused League offers an accessible format of cricket for people with disability to join teams and participate in club life. The Insurance Commission funds enabling equipment for the ICL and its players.
“I’ve been able to play cricket my whole life. I know some people here have just started playing cricket because they never know they could play it,” said Marty Davis from Joondalup Kinross Cricket Club.
“So, days like today which enable them to play cricket, it’s just spectacular.”
WA Cricket is committed to ensuring cricket is a sport for all by creating equal opportunities for all future cricketers.
Currently, 38% of overall club registrations in Western Australia are players from multicultural backgrounds and nearly 2% are people with disabilities, the largest percentages in the country.