Walking Cricket took centre stage at the Kia Oval recently, with a special feature on Sky Sports during the England vs. India test match.
The segment, broadcast during the lunch break on Day 3, celebrated a Surrey Cricket Foundation Walking Cricket festival held on the ground’s famous outfield. It was presented by Charles Colville, a cricket presenter and journalist who now plays walking cricket at Holmbury St Mary’s CC.
The festival brought together 14 teams, including the iconic Chelsea Pensioners and a newly formed women’s team, the Old Woking Owls, offering over 140 walking cricketers the chance to grace the hallowed turf. The event was a showcase rather than a competition, with teams playing a number of matches and enjoying a tour of the ground.
Simon Hards, Surrey Cricket Foundation’s Assistant Director of Cricket Participation, highlighted the format’s importance: “Walking Cricket truly aligns to ECB’s north star of delivering the most inclusive team sport, and it was great to see how inspired many of our walking cricketers were as they stepped out onto the hallowed turf of the Kia Oval at this event. I believe walking cricket is the next big growth opportunity for our sport and what makes it so good is that holistic benefits the format offers to its players – physical and mental health benefits as well as the chance to meet new people and avoid social isolation which can be a challenge in the older population.”
The Surrey Cricket Foundation is actively working to expand the programme and has already identified potential new clubs for the 2026 season. If your club is interested in learning more about getting involved, please contact Kim Price, SCF’s Walking Cricket Officer, at kprice@surreycricket.com