Fidel Edwards shows how it's done

West Indies speedster Fidel Edwards gave his backing to StreetChance by dropping in at the inter-borough competition on May 29 at the Westway Sports Centre.

The paceman - who grew up playing tapeball cricket in the Caribbean - had a go at Street20 and sent down some fairly sharp deliveries of his own.

He even made up his own tapeball and was a real hit with the youngsters, saying: “It’s been great, a lot of fun. It’s always nice to give something back to the next generation. When I first played cricket it was with a tapeball back home in Barbados and it’s nice for the kids to see someone they watch on TV here in the flesh.”

Ealing Allstars overcame Southwark Storm in the final of the senior competition while Tower Hamlets Tigers edged past Newham Knights in the junior final, forcing a win off the very last ball.

Youngsters attending StreetChance sessions at  Downside Fisher Youth Club in Southwark managed a highly creditable draw after being invited to play a one-off game against a public school in Somerset on May 2.

John Emburey gives youngsters tips ahead of the big game

The young teenagers - who represent the Southwark Storm team at StreetChance competitions - took on Downside School in an under-15s game of conventional hard-ball cricket, having learnt to play Street20 indoors using just a tapeball.

Despite scoring fewer runs from their 20 overs, Downside Fisher managed to avoid being bowled out and earned themselves a hard-fought draw. In reply to the School’s 165-6, Downside Fisher managed to cling on by finishing 89-9. Star performers in the Downside Fisher XI were Alfie Jerrom, who top-scored with 28, and Jaffa Balluch, who put in a good performance with both bat and ball. Captain Charlie Jerrom led from the front with some powerful hitting and good fielding.

Adam Hall, a Cricket for Change coach who delivers the StreetChance sessions at Downside Fisher Youth Club, said: “These guys have come an incredibly long way in a short space of time, not just in terms of their cricket but also as people. To come up against a side like Downside School and perform like they did was a credit to them.”

Earlier in the week the youngsters received some top tips from former England cricketer John Emburey, who also grew up in Southwark. He presented each team member with their whites ahead of the match.

The former Middlesex and England spin king said:  “Growing up in inner London, cricket was a lifeline for me. Everyone can enjoy the benefits of cricket, be it a traditional or a tapeball version played by these youngsters.  All you need is a ball, a bat and some mates and you’re away. StreetChance is a great way of engaging children in often hard to reach inner city areas.”

Downside Fisher Youth Club was established by Catholic Monks from Downside School around 100 years ago as a charitable act, and the School has continued to support and fund-raise for the Youth Club ever since.

The School also presented the Youth Club with a centenary trophy and a cheque for £1,000 after the game.

Isa presents Tower Hamlets Tigers with the trophy

A competition on April 6 saw teams from across London converge on Southwark, watched on by Isa Guha, a member of the England women’s cricket team that has just won the World Cup.

More than 120 youngsters from various London boroughs took part in the StreetChance supported by Barclays Spaces for Sports competition at Downside Fisher Youth Club on Monday.

Tower Hamlets Tigers did the double, winning both the junior (under-14s) and the senior (14 to 18-year-old) tournaments, overcoming teams from Hounslow and Brent Buccaneers respectively in the finals.

Other teams taking part included Hackney Hurricanes, Croydon Kings, North London Muslim Cricket Club, Southwark Storm, Newham Knights, Lewisham Lions and Ealing Allstars.

Isa, the number one ranked bowler in the world, helped launch the StreetChance initiative with England men’s star Ravi Bopara last July.   

It aims to reach at least 5,000 youngsters in its first year, with around 40 per cent of those being girls through in-school and out-of-school sessions. Many are also from ethnic minority groups.