The WACA Ground played host to the Finals of the Belt Up Integrated Cricket League on Sunday 10 March, with more than 250 participants gathered on the iconic venue to celebrate yet another successful season.
The Belt Up Integrated Cricket League, supported by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the WA Cricket Foundation, is a key part of the community cricket landscape across WA.
It offers an accessible format of cricket for people with disability to join teams and participate in club life, and the Insurance Commission funds enabling equipment for the ICL and its players, as well as improved training resources and expansion of the competition.
The Belt Up Integrated Cricket League provides an opportunity for clubs to enter teams into a competition that plays a modified format, aimed at those with less cricket skills, experience, or confidence.
This provides opportunities for players with a disability to play community cricket in an environment that is suitable for their needs.
The ICL brings clubs together across three different grades, with junior, senior and A Grade all growing in numbers and stature in recent years.
The Junior competition had a record six teams in 2023-24, with 58 participants from Kardinya Lakes, Wembley Districts and Joondalup-Kinross fighting it out in competitive matches across the summer.
The Final produced an all-Kardinya affair at the WACA Ground, which showcased their commitment as one of the strongest clubs across the junior ICL programs.
The Senior Grade also reached a record number of participants, with 173 players filling out 13 teams from eight different clubs around the Perth Metropolitan area to enjoy their love of cricket in a competitive but friendly environment.
Kingsway White were crowned winners of the Senior Grade, after a thrilling 12-run victory over Secret Harbour in the Grand Final.
Both teams were the runaway leaders in the preliminary rounds and produced a quality Grand Final played in front of plenty of family and friends.
A Grade remained strong once again, with North Perth and Applecross Cricket Club continuing to be the leaders in Integrated Cricket space.
In a positive sign for the future of the ICL, participation has risen from 2022-23, with a 12.5% increase year on year across the three age groups.
This continues a sustained period of growth for the competition, with the last three years all showing an increase in participants.