Grassroots Cricket Clubs

Andrew Lewin Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Andrew Lewin (Welwyn Hatfield) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Government support for grassroots cricket clubs.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. There is something quintessentially English about amateur cricket: the thud of the bat on ball, the awkward silence after a catch goes down—I know, I have been there—and the beer mats hanging out of trouser pockets, as players hope to dry the ball on another soggy May afternoon. Mostly importantly, this summer 2.5 million of us played the game, which is a force for good in so many ways.

I want to reflect on why grassroots cricket is so important to our communities and needs to be nurtured and invested in, and to ask the Minister how the Government can work with clubs, schools and the game’s governing body, to ensure that our great game thrives and is open to all. Cricket has always been a big part of my life. I am wearing the tie of Bishop’s Stortford cricket club, where I first rocked up as a six-year-old. I have played for a few clubs in my time. The excellent Play-Cricket website, used by clubs across the country, records that I have batted 193 times and scored 3,854 runs in club cricket. This is a 90-minute debate, so we have plenty of time—[Interruption.] No, don’t worry, Mr Turner. I was sorely tempted but, as I intend to stay in your good books, I will resist the temptation to talk any more about my career.

[Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)]

It was a great privilege to serve under the captaincy of the hon. Member this summer for the Lords and Commons cricket team, in our valiant defeat against Marylebone cricket club. I note that, despite that valiant defeat, neither I nor he has received a call-up from Brendon McCullum or Ben Stokes in Adelaide. My constituency is home to some wonderful clubs: Epping, Theydon Bois, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Roding Valley and High Beach. Such clubs are the beating heart of our communities. Does the hon. Member agree that the Government should do all they can to support those fantastic institutions, which offer so many opportunities to people young and old?

[Karl Turner (in the Chair)]

Order. Before the hon. Gentleman continues, I remind Members that interventions are meant to be very short.

[Andrew Lewin]

Of course, Mr Turner, but I hope we can make an exception for a teammate. I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I have played at some of the clubs that do so much for his community. I know that that is true of many hon. Members who will take part in the debate. As for future call-ups, there are still three test matches to go.

I want to thank Welwyn Garden City cricket club in my constituency. This August, I played a small part in helping to organise a tournament to raise money for two brain tumour charities. The driving force behind the day was Connor Emerton, the club captain, whose brother Shay was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just 24. Shay and Connor both played on the day, and £10,000 was raised for brain tumour charities. That epitomised the best of a grassroots cricket club: a community coming together, enjoying an English summer’s day and raising money for an exceptionally important cause.

Grassroots cricket is in good shape: 2.5 million played the game in some form last year, and 216,000 fixtures were recorded across England and Wales, which is the first time the amateur game has surpassed the 200,000 mark in a single calendar year.

[Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. The Co-operative party, which I chair in Parliament, believes that community ownership and local control really matter. Does he agree that stronger protections for grassroots cricket organisations such as Harborne cricket club in my constituency, and greater support for communities to safeguard and run their own facilities, are essential if we are serious about community support?

[Andrew Lewin]

I strongly agree, and will talk a little more about the protections we can offer clubs and what more we can do to build and establish clubs of the future.

Cricket clubs set a new record for participation in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s All Stars and Dynamos youth programmes this year, with more than 105,000 children signing up, including a record number of girls taking up the game. Just short of 3,000 girls’ teams played fixtures this summer—another double-digit percentage increase on the previous year.

[Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)]

The hon. Member makes a good point about the growing diversity in cricket. My constituency is home to Challow and Childrey cricket club, as well as to Didcot cricket club, at which there is a junior division, one of Oxfordshire’s largest disability cricket associations, and a women and girls division. Didcot cricket club is also very diverse. Does he agree that cricket, and sport in general, can bring communities closer together and therefore need more central Government support?

[Andrew Lewin]

I could not agree more on the power of cricket in bringing communities together. I am pleased to hear that the hon. Member has such a thriving club in his community.

As in all good teams, complacency is not an option. We are in a good place, but when we reflect on grassroots participation in our game, and who has access to it, we must question whether facilities are always truly open to all. Many of the best cricket facilities in the country are located at private schools—that is not a new phenomenon. There are good examples of such facilities being opened up and shared with a much wider community. King Edward’s school, Birmingham has been highlighted to me as an exemplar. It has a decades-long relationship with Warwickshire county cricket club, and makes its pitches and indoor facilities available all year round. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I would be grateful if the Minister said a little about what her Department is doing to build on examples of best practice, and to encourage more private schools to open their facilities to the whole community.

High-quality pitches and outfields will always be core to our game—they are an essential tenet of it—but our sport is evolving fast. I was delighted by our Government’s commitment to the first two cricket domes in Luton and Lancashire earlier this year. The domes will provide a unique opportunity for the game to be played all year round. I would value hearing more from the Minister on the Government’s plans to accelerate and expand the roll-out of these domes.

[Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend makes an important point about indoor cricket, which is particularly vital in Cumbria because our weather requires slightly more cover-ups than cover drives. I recently learned that, through the Super 1s programme, Cumbria Cricket is now offering table cricket to young disabled people in a number of schools such as James Rennie school and Richard Rose central academy in my constituency. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Lord’s Taverners funding that makes that possible is absolutely vital to ensuring that the game of cricket is inclusive at a grassroots level?

[Andrew Lewin]

I agree. My hon. Friend’s constituency has a proud cricketing history. I know a little bit about the work of the Lord’s Taverners; it is an inspiring organisation that helps young people with disabilities and additional needs to thrive and enjoy our great game.

In respect of domes, it is so important that we keep an eye on urban centres in particular, where there is so much passion for our game but far fewer opportunities to take part.

We also need to plan today for the facilities of tomorrow. I support the Government’s planning reforms and believe that we need a collective focus on building homes and communities that stand the test of time. Sports facilities, cricket pavilions and pitches are part of what distinguishes a community from a simple housing development. Sports England has been a statutory consultee in the planning process since 1997. In the 18 years prior to Sports England being given that status, 10,000 sports pitches were sold off. Since 1997, that number has fallen to fewer than 600.

We need a planning system that values sporting facilities—not simply to preserve them, but to recognise that our most successful places often have a sports club at their core. As the NHS rightly shifts its focus from sickness to prevention, the public health benefits of getting this right today will be felt for decades to come. I appreciate that much of the decision-making power here lies in the remit of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but I would be grateful if the Minister said a little about the representations that she is making to ensure that protecting existing sports facilities and building them for the future is part of live conversations about planning reform.

The biggest and best change to happen in cricket since I was playing as a kid is not Bazball—sorry, Brendon—but the growth of the game for girls, women and people with disabilities. I have also had the privilege of visiting a Super 1s cricket programme at Chancellor’s school in Brookmans Park in my constituency. It was one of my most uplifting days in this job—I saw young people with disabilities and additional needs come together in the simple joy of playing a game of cricket. Hatfield Hyde cricket club in my constituency is another leading club in Hertfordshire for disability cricket, and my visit for next season is already booked in.

The growth of the women’s game has the potential to reach new heights next year as we host the women’s T20 world cup. I hear that ticket sales are going well—I can say with certainty that they will be drastically more affordable than tickets for a certain event happening at the same time in the US. May I invite the Minister to tell us what plans she has to capitalise on England’s hosting of the world cup next summer, so that it lives long in the memory, not just as a tournament but as a catalyst for further growth of our game?

Grassroots cricket is in good health. The top order has built a good foundation, and there is much to be optimistic about, but in cricket parlance we need only add two wickets to the scorecard for things to start looking a bit more vulnerable. Now is not the time for overconfidence or any rash shots outside off-stump—and that is as true for our long-term stewardship of the game here as it is for England in Adelaide over the next five days. I look forward to hearing from the Minister about how she plans to play it from here to ensure that grassroots cricket keeps growing, is open to all, and can be a success story in constituencies all across the country.

[Several hon. Members rose—]

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Lewin]

There were so many good speeches, and I want to briefly reflect on the highlights from each. I congratulate the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) on the new cricket pitch and pavilion landing this year. I was really sorry to hear about the flooding that impacted the club of my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn). Cricket is particularly exposed to the damage of climate change in this country and across the world. We need to be really conscious of that.

We already knew that there has never been a parliamentary debate missed by the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon); now we know he has never got a duck either. That is particularly big news in Westminster.

My hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) talked about the brilliance of the Lancashire league. I largely agree with him, but as I went to York university, I will say no more—I want to remain friends.

The hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) gave a really powerful speech. I particularly support his comment that while there is talent everywhere, opportunity is not equally shared. He made a powerful point about state-of-the-art facilities—some young people just need some synthetic turf. His point was very well made.

I am sorry that the hon. Member for South Antrim (Robin Swann) and I got off on the wrong foot. He is absolutely right to say that cricket has a very proud history in Ireland. It is not just the Aussies who have beaten the English in recent history; the Irish team has as well, as has Scotland—a lot of people share in that.

I love the journey of the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) from cricket widow to a champion of the sport, and the opening up of the game. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Steff Aquarone), is, I think, all out of puns. He might be a little optimistic in thinking that there will be an Ashes test at Cromer cricket club, but the parliamentary cricket team is always looking for fixtures, so we can talk afterwards.

The hon. Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) and I might not agree on everything, but we can agree on the class and permanence of Joe Root, whose career has spanned six Prime Ministers.

Most importantly, I thank the Minister for everything she is doing for our game: for her commitment to raise the issue of opening up facilities in private schools with the Department for Education, for the specific £400 million investment, and for considering how those two things can work together. I think that will matter to a lot of the Members who have spoken today, and many more colleagues as well. She finished by encouraging submissions to the MHCLG consultation. I do not need any excuse to write about cricket, so I will certainly be doing that. I thank everybody who took part in the debate today.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered Government support for grassroots cricket clubs.