Newham win "Battle of Waterloo"
The Duke of Wellington once said “The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”. Today (14 April) a group of children from inner-city London state schools and communities turned Waterloo Station into a playing field of their own for a cricketing “Battle of Waterloo”.
Teenagers from Lewisham, Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets battled it out on behalf of Kent, Essex, Surrey and Middlesex in a ‘Street20’ cricket competition – the first ever to be held at a national railway station - to raise awareness of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, “Pitch Perfect”.
The six-a-side cricket competition took place in London Waterloo’s disused Eurostar terminal and a tape ball – a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape – replaced the traditional leather cricket ball. Street20 is a fast-paced version of ‘the gentleman’s game’ and can be played anywhere with a flat surface. Each innings lasts just 20 balls, making it both accessible and engaging for young people. Newham claimed victory against Lewisham in a nail-biting final, winning by just two runs. Receiving the “Battle of Waterloo” trophy, captain Rifat, 14, said: “It feels excellent. It’s only our second competition and the last time we were runners-up. This time it was all down to tactics.”
Joining scores of youngsters were three past Ashes winners: Chris Broad, Lydia Greenway and Gladstone Small. Chris, father of current England fast bowler Stuart Broad, and Gladstone were members of the last England team to lead a victorious campaign to Australia in 1986/7; while Lydia helped England to retain the Ashes in 2009.
The Lord Mayor of London, Nick Anstee, has named The Cricket Foundation and the London Symphony Orchestra as the principal beneficiaries of his Appeal in 2010. Through The Cricket Foundation’s StreetChance initiative and the LSO Discovery programme, “Pitch Perfect” aims to bring sport and music activities to 75,000 children in two-thirds of London boroughs by 2015.
Commenting on today’s event, the Lord Mayor of London said: “It’s incredibly uplifting to see young people enjoying a cricket match in the heart of London during their school holidays. Pitch Perfect will bring cricket and music opportunities to thousands of young people from challenging boroughs in London and will leave a lasting legacy.”
Former England Test cricketer turned ICC Test official, Chris Broad, added: “Cricket should be for everyone regardless of class or background. I often see kids playing tape ball cricket in the streets of Dhaka and Lahore, so why not in urban spaces and playgrounds in London too? It’s a fantastic way to introduce young people to the game.”
Pitch Perfect aims to enable the following by 2015:
• 75,000 young people to participate in StreetChance and On Track activities across London, 60% of whom will be from ethnic minority backgrounds
• 950 schools to be actively involved in StreetChance and On Track projects in two thirds of London boroughs
• 1,250 teachers to be trained, to enable continued activity beyond 2015
The “Battle of Waterloo” cricket competition is one of a number of events taking place this year to help raise awareness and funds for Pitch Perfect. Other highlights include a ‘World of Cricket’ dinner at Guildhall with a number of high-profile international cricketers (28 June), a celebrity cricket match at Windsor Castle (4 July), a ‘Fathers & Daughters’ dinner (6 September) and a Gala evening with the LSO at Windsor Castle’ (2 October).
For a full list of Pitch Perfect events and to find out ways to support the Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2010 click here