Cricket was celebrated in schools and communities across Surrey and south London on Thursday 23 April 2026, as young people took part in Schools Cricket Day, a national initiative led by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to mark 50 days until the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Through a combination of direct delivery and school‑led activity, it is estimated that around 7,000 children engaged in cricket across the region during the day.
The Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF) supported cricket activity on a significant scale, helping to engage thousands of children across Surrey and south London. SCF staff delivered cricket sessions directly in eight schools, working with around 1,500 children across the day, while a further 76 schools delivered their own sessions through teachers or in partnership with local cricket clubs and their coaches.
In addition, SCF hosted four primary school skills festivals at local cricket club venues, welcoming 460 children from a range of schools. The events were held at Wimbledon Cricket Club (Raynes Park site), Long Ditton Cricket Club, Old Woking Cricket Club and Banstead Cricket Club, giving pupils the chance to experience cricket in a club setting and helping to build strong connections between schools and clubs.
The skills festival at Raynes Park was chosen by the ECB as a landmark Schools Cricket Day event, with England women’s captain Heather Knight, former England international Ebony Rainford‑Brent and former England men’s captain Michael Atherton attending. Their visit helped highlight the importance of grassroots cricket and inspire young people, particularly girls, as the Women’s T20 World Cup approaches.
Schools Cricket Day also included strong secondary school engagement, with 80 secondary school pupils taking part in a tournament as part of the celebrations, offering them the opportunity to represent their schools in a competitive cricket environment.
To support delivery across the region, 30 members of the Surrey Cricket Foundation team were deployed across multiple locations, organising events, delivering sessions and supporting schools and clubs. They were joined by 11 students from the Surrey Academic Cricket Scholarship State School Sixth Form Programme, who assisted at two venues and gained valuable experience supporting cricket activity. Coaches from ACE, alongside casual coaches and volunteers, were also on hand throughout the day to support delivery and help ensure a high‑quality experience for all participants.
Reflecting on the day, Emily Patterson, Women and Girls Development Officer at the Surrey Cricket Foundation, said:
“Schools Cricket Day was a brilliant opportunity to engage young people across Surrey and south London while building excitement ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup. It was particularly encouraging to see so many girls enjoying cricket for the first time, supported by schools, clubs and role models from the game.”
Gudrun Bennett, Schools Officer at the Surrey Cricket Foundation, added:
“The level of engagement from schools was fantastic. By working closely with teachers and local clubs, we were able to deliver high‑quality cricket to a huge number of children in just one day, showing the real impact of strong school–club partnerships.”
Schools Cricket Day 2026 demonstrated the collective strength of schools, clubs and the wider cricket network across Surrey and south London, using a national moment to inspire participation and create lasting opportunities for young people to stay involved in the game.
