THE England and Wales Cricket Board, in conjunction with the Dorset County Cricket Board and Active Dorset, have brought their Cricket Factory Roadshow to Weymouth Beach in a bid to inspire a generation to participate in sport.

Plenty of holidaymakers, Olympic visitors and local families have taken advantage of the free Sports Arena by the Olympic Live Site with the ECB Cricket Factory Rig offering a whole range of challenges including throwing, catching, batting and the ever-popular speed radar throw, all designed to give a fun introduction to the sport.

ECB national volunteer and participation manager Jane Hannah said: “We’ve had a wide age range participating in the cricket from two to 75.

“Lots of potential young cricketers have been taking part and having a great time, but as important is the number of mums and dads playing, seeing just how engaging the sport of cricket is for all the family.

“We are providing all those who take part with the information and links needed to connect with cricket wherever they live, such as Last Man Stands and ECB Kwik Cricket.”

Charlotte Edwards, captain of the England Women’s team, paid a visit to the arena and was very impressed with the set up.

She added: “It was a fantastic experience and I really enjoyed it. “It is a great introduction to cricket for the young people and families visiting the arena and it brought back childhood memories of playing on the beach when I was young.”

Visit ecb.co.uk/play and cricketfac tory.co.uk for more information.