Children and young people from Basingstoke were given the chance to play cricket on The Ageas Bowl pitch.

Hampshire Cricket Board, which oversees the grassroots game throughout the county, joined forces with The Ageas Bowl to host its first-ever Hawks Fest – a cricket festival for players who attend free weekly sessions in Basingstoke, Southampton and Portsmouth.

A total of 115 players aged between eight and 19 took part, with teams made up of participants from the local MCC Foundation Hub, Chance to Shine’s street cricket programme, and Wicketz, a national cricket programme funded by the Lord’s Taverners charity.

All three projects are delivered locally by coaches from Hampshire Cricket Board, are aimed predominantly at young people living in urban areas and look to create opportunities for young people who may not historically have been given the chance to play the sport to get active and develop a love of cricket.

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Boys and girls can access free and inclusive regular cricket, with the opportunity to progress to local talent pathways and develop their skills further – or just enjoy the chance to get active, make friends, and have fun playing cricket.

There is also a strong focus on personal development. Wicketz, for example, provides year-round, free, weekly cricket sessions which attempt to break down barriers to participation, help players build important life skills, and ultimately create stronger communities.

All the young people invited to Hawks Fest had impressed their coaches with their attitude and commitment and were rewarded with the chance to follow in the footsteps of their Hampshire Hawks, Southern Vipers, and Southern Brave heroes by playing at the Test venue.

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Sam Moss, urban cricket development manager at Hampshire Cricket Board, was delighted with how the day went. He said: “It was amazing to see so many young people given the chance to play on the same pitch as the likes of James Vince, Lauren Bell, Chris Jordan, Maia Bouchier, and Mohammad Abbas.

“Hawks Fest was a real celebration of the diversity and inclusivity of our cricket programmes and the communities we serve and everyone who took part had a day they’ll never forget."

For more information on Hampshire Cricket Board’s work locally – including how to attend on of the free cricket sessions held locally – visit: www.ageasbowl.com.