DCB achieves 1,000 All Stars sign-ups and wins national award

Firstly, the county’s chiefs are rejoicing after winning the ‘Chance to Shine’ board of the year for 2020.

Chance to Shine takes cricket to schools and communities, aiming to unite diverse groups and teach vital skills, educating children nationwide.

The DCB have introduced exciting innovations such as glow in the dark cricket for children enrolled on the scheme.

Secondly, All Stars cricket sign-ups have boomed over the 1,000 mark in Dorset.

Reaching the landmark is a hugely encouraging sign for the health of cricket in the county.

All Stars, an initiative conceived by the England & Wales Cricket Board, is aimed at kids aged between five and eight.

Sessions are geared towards offering a fun, positive and engaging first experience of cricket, with the scheme attracting significant interest from clubs and schools across Dorset.

READ MORE: Howzaaaat? DCB puts on glow in the dark cricket sessions

Youth Participation Development officer James Mitchell, who also plays for Puddletown, has been central to achieving the milestone.

“I’m so chuffed,” he told Echosport. “It feels like the culmination of three or four years’ work. I remember in the job interview I had about taking over the All Stars, we only had 400 at that point.

“They wanted a thousand, which is a growth of well over 100 per cent. We thought that was quite a lot, but I was up for it.

“We’ve got there, which is amazing. It’s testament to the hard work of coaches in schools, primarily, and everyone in clubs.

“The amount of hard work that goes into it, the volunteers giving up their Friday nights and Saturday mornings to coach kids is quite special.

“I’m glad to oversee it but it’s ultimately down to the volunteers – that makes cricket tick, it’s the most important thing.”

All Star sign-ups have passed 1,000 in Dorset Picture: DCB

Mitchell added that All Stars has even had a knock-on positive effect at some Dorset clubs.

“It’s also been nice to see other clubs like Witchampton start a junior section through All Stars,” he said.

“They didn’t have any junior cricket last year and now they’ve got 40-odd kids at All Stars and a few doing Dynamos.

“Other clubs like Buckhorn Weston are in the same situation.

“A lot of smaller, rural clubs are doing really well from it, which is exactly what wanted to see.

“It’s not a case of the big clubs are getting loads of kids and the small clubs aren’t – it’s really spread out.

“There are lots of clubs vying for sign-ups, from Dorchester, Broadstone, Poole, Puddletown to Verwood, all over the county, which is amazing.

“That’s very pleasing, to have over 30 clubs do it, considering that’s over half the number of clubs in Dorset.”

On the Chance to Shine award, Mitchell added: “The ceremony was on Zoom and the coaches Sean (Fitzgerald) and Rob (Newton) didn’t even have the opportunity to even see the trophy.

“We got one of the pupils to present it, which was really nice.

“They do the bulk of the work in the schools, get good feedback and do such a good job. It was nice to recognise that.

“With The Hundred, as well, it’s a great opportunity over the summer months to get kids engaged in cricket.

“They found with the World Cup, in July 2019, more and more kids wanted to get involved in cricket.

“Obviously, junior cricket stops at the end of the school term in mid-July, so there’s not many opportunities to get involved.

“We’re hoping with our summer projects to provide that pathway for kids.”