The Hertfordshire Harriers History
A Potted History of the Hertfordshire Harriers Disabilities Cricket Club.
The ‘Harriers’ have a very short history in as much as they were formed just last season under the direction of Barry Humphrey who is the Disabilities Coordinator for Hertfordshire County Cricket Association.
The idea was that the Harriers would form a catalyst for disabled cricket in Herts and eventually other regional groups would form in the county. These groups would play regional matches at ‘club’ level and as a result, a county squad would evolve.
In these early days, there is just the one formal group with other players coming along from work being carried out in schools to try and promote and provide cricket to people with disabilities.
The Harriers have represented the county for the last two seasons in the BACD county Championship. The BACD (British Association for Cricketers with Disabilities) run a nationwide championship based on zones. Last season the Harriers played sides like Hampshire and Somerset, this season, the opposition has been a lot tougher, playing against Shropshire, Wales and Warwickshire.
Another tireless worker for the cause has been Jan Dyer, she has worked hard in recruiting players and indeed bringing the game to those where ordinarily they would not be able to play.
So far, the Harriers have attracted some 35 disabled people and have newly introduced the game to the vast majority of these. The philosophy of the Harriers is not only about playing the game, but also it’s about the fun aspect and more importantly still, for a large number of the competitors, the game has brought some new skills both from a sporting aspect and a social aspect.
A number of the Harriers have been fortunate enough to represent England through the CFPD (Cricket Federation for People with Disabilities) with the South of England squad and England ‘A’ team, with indoor matches played at Old Trafford and the Oval. Two of the current Hertfordshire squad, Eric Vitins and Richard Hill have gone on to play for the full England team within the CFPD structure.
Always looking for new players, the Harriers are hoping to start groups in other parts of the county. If anyone is interested in helping in this venture, please contact Barry Humphrey at the Herts & Essex Cricket Centre.