Skip to content

Sky Sports and ECB target 100 communities with new grassroots cricket initiative called Dynamos Cricket Intros

Initiative aims to encourage more children to take up the game of cricket regardless of gender, ability, or background; Dynamos Cricket Intros will enable schools and community centres in underprivileged areas to provide courses for free

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

England bowler Mady Villiers says it's important to break the stigma attached to cricket, as she attended the launch of Dynamos Cricket Intros, a new initiative encouraging more children to play regardless of gender, ability, or background.

Sky Sports has teamed up with the England and Wales Cricket Board to launch a new grassroots cricket initiative called Dynamos Cricket Intros.

The programme aims to champion inclusion, encouraging more children to take up the game of cricket regardless of gender, ability, or background.

With the ambition of reaching children who might not ordinarily have access to cricket for a variety of reasons, the three-year investment will enable schools and community centres in underprivileged areas to provide courses for free.

Following the ECB's launch of Dynamos Cricket, a new eight-week paid for countdown cricket course delivered in clubs and centres for eight-to-11-year-olds, Dynamos Cricket Intros will target 100 towns and cities across the UK.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The ECB's Shruti Saujani explains how Dynamos Cricket will take the game into new communities and offer opportunities to coaches and mentors

Starting on June 1, it is designed to tackle existing barriers and inspire the next generation to pick up a bat and ball, particularly in urban areas, by introducing children to a simplified and more dynamic game of countdown cricket.

“Playing cricket is something that every child should have the chance to try, no matter their background or economic situation. Dynamos Cricket Intros is a way of opening up the playing field and ensuring that children who, due to any number of reasons, previously won’t have had the opportunity to experience the game can pick up a bat and a ball and have some fun! Investment at grass-roots level is key for any sport, and you never know, Dynamos Cricket Intros might just unearth a future England star…”
Jofra Archer

With a focus on accessibility and encouragement ahead of The Hundred competition this summer, the investment in the initiative is broken down into three main parts; recruitment and training, access to free courses and the creation of fun educational videos delivered by stars of the game.

Presenter Jacqueline Shepherd took part in the Dynamos Cricket Intros launch
Image: Presenter Jacqueline Shepherd took part in the Dynamos Cricket Intros launch

The Dynamos Cricket Intros scheme will offer training to 300 new coaches, which will include coaching experience and mentoring support with all kit and equipment provided for free. Once trained, these activators will span 150 schools and 150 community centres across the UK ready to encourage more children to pick up a bat and ball this summer at no cost.

Also See:

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Paceman Tymal Mills hopes Dynamos Cricket Intros, a free grassroots initiative forged by Sky Sports and the ECB, will help children in underprivileged areas fall in love with cricket.

Applications to take part in this new coach training scheme are open to people of all backgrounds from today via The Hundred Rising, a new programme of exciting opportunities to open cricket's doors to new audiences this summer. Find out more here.

Finally, a series of fun and educational videos featuring England star Jofra Archer and Tammy Beaumont will be made available to all via the Sky Sports YouTube channel. The participation collection will introduce cricket to teachers, parents and children.

What is Dynamos Cricket?
What is Dynamos Cricket?

Fancy learning new skills and playing countdown cricket? Then try Dynamos Cricket - a new initiative for children aged 8-11!

Rob Webster, Managing Director of Sky Sports said: "At Sky Sports we believe all children should have the opportunity to play cricket regardless of gender, ability or background.

"As a long-standing partner of the ECB, we have invested in Dynamos Cricket Intros to tackle head-on some of the biggest barriers to participation. We can't wait to work in 100 communities across the UK this summer inspiring more and more children to start playing the game that has been at the heart of Sky Sports for decades."

Nick Pryde, Director of Participation and Growth at the ECB added: "We are continuously grateful for the depth and breadth of our Sky Sports partnership.

Dynamos Cricket Intros is designed to tackle existing barriers and inspire the next generation to pick up a bat and ball
Image: Dynamos Cricket Intros is designed to tackle existing barriers and inspire the next generation to pick up a bat and ball

"Their generous investment into creating Dynamos Cricket Intros is an incredible example of their dedication to growing the number of children playing cricket in this country and to making the game more inclusive and diverse.

"We are excited to join forces with Sky on this project this summer to help break down barriers to entry and inspire cricket's future generations."

ECB launches Dynamos Cricket
ECB launches Dynamos Cricket

Dynamos Cricket is a new programme for children aged 8-11 that the ECB hopes will inspire a new generation of cricketers.

The Hundred is an action-packed, unmissable, new 100-ball cricket tournament created by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and set to kick off on July 21 2021.

By simplifying the format and creating a new never-before-seen type of cricket, The Hundred's aim is to open up the game to everyone, everywhere, with the winning combination of world-class sport and entertainment.

The Hundred will offer equal prize money for the men's and women's tournament and will be the first major UK team sporting competition in history to launch with a standalone women's fixture.

Committed to raising the profile of women's cricket, the first fixture of the competition is between Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles on July 21 at the Kia Oval in London.

The Sky Sports Cricket channel will be rebranded Sky Sports The Hundred for the duration of the competition this summer and all the women's and a significant number of men's matches will be made available to all audiences via the Sky Sports YouTube channel.

If you would like to discover more about Dynamos and countdown cricket please click here.

Around Sky