Students aim to bowl over opposition when they travel to Lords and take part in national cricket finals
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A group of students from Ipswich are hoping to hit other teams for six when they travel to Lords to take part in a tournament called the National Table Cricket Finals Day.
The majority of the group are all on supported learning programmes at One Sixth Form College in Ipswich.
They qualified for this national contest by seeing off seven other teams in a regional round that took place at South Lee School in Bury St Edmunds in April 2024.
They won all four of their heats before beating a team from Clare School from Norwich in the finals to secure their trip to the home of cricket on 27 June 2024.
The sport was first developed in 1990 and is an adapted version of cricket that is played on a table tennis table with teams of six taking it in turn to bowl or bat.
Hamish Crawford can't wait to visit the home of cricket and just wants to drink it in.
Rita Harden is a teacher of supported learning at One Sixth Form College. Rita said: “We have seven people in the squad and they did so well. Other teams got behind us because of the way we conducted ourselves. When we won - I was just so proud. It was high fives all round.”
In terms of expectations ahead of the finals, Rita added: “We are a strong team who perform well and I know that everyone will do their best. Taking part in the competition at Lords will be a very special moment for everyone.”
Kia Coulson, 17, from Ipswich is captain of the team. Kia said: “I like the fact that everyone can play table cricket. We want to win the whole thing. It’s exciting.”
Hamish Crawford, 20, from Ipswich is on a level two sports course. Hamish said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Lords. I’m a cricket fan and like Ben Stokes, Joe Root Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. I’m just going to drink it in (at Lords) and take the opportunity. I can’t wait. It would mean the world to win.”
