LEADING logistics firm CM Downton will help the Gloucestershire’s county disability teams deliver even more success on the pitch after agreeing a £5,000 sponsorship deal.

The Moreton Valence-based company’s money will be used to purchase kit and cover match-day costs for both the hardball and softball teams.

Gloucestershire Cricket Board (GCB) chief executive Steve Silk said the new partnership would provide a huge boost to the Board’s growing disability programme.

He said: “We are delighted that CM Downton has come on board as the sponsor of our county disability teams.

“Their funding will help cover costs like travel and equipment that would otherwise have to be passed on to the players and could prevent them from being able to take part.

“The support of CM Downton means we will be able to continue to expand our disability programme and provide more opportunities for people with disabilities to access coaching and play competitively.”

CM Downton director Kate Downton said: “We’ve been headquartered in Gloucestershire since 1955 and we’re one of the county’s biggest , so we’re always looking for ways in which we can support the community through charities and local initiatives.

“The GCB’s disability programme is clearly going from strength to strength and doing fantastic things for the disabled community in Gloucestershire. We are extremely proud to be a part of that.” Gloucestershire currently has two disability teams at county level - a hardball and a softball team.

The softball side – who play their home games at Frocester CC – was launched two years ago and joined the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Super 9s League at the start of the current season.

The team is for young people with learning and physical disabilities and is designed to offer a supportive first step into competitive cricket.

Matches can feature between nine and 12 players per side with roll on/off fielders and are either 30, 35 or 30 overs a side depending on the number of participants.

The team is coached by Tim Polley who got involved through his grandson who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

And he said the team had made tremendous progress since they first started playing together.

He said: “It is so rewarding – they have taken such massive steps forward in such a short space of time. Their bowling has improved 100% and they are learning about the game all the time.

“It has also been fantastic for encouraging social interaction and it has brought a lot of the children out of themselves.”

Gloucestershire’s hardball team only came into existence in February this year but has gone from strength to strength as a result of the GCB joining forces with social interest company So Fab Sports.

The team now has around 30 players with learning or physical disabilities attending weekly training sessions at Gloucester City Winget CC. More than 20 of these have gone on to represent Gloucestershire in the National D40 League A large number of the squad had never played cricket before but were encouraged to try it by So Fab’s Chris Rawlins who has run a successful disability football team at Abbeymead Rovers for the last six years.

The team is now also beginning to attract experienced cricketers from local league sides.

Chris said: “People think of the extremes of disability but we want to recruit people from across the spectrum. Having a few guys that have played club cricket has been invaluable and has given the whole team a lift.

“It is small steps but they are getting better with each game.

“Sport has a great ability to break down barriers and make people feel good about themselves and the scope to develop things in Gloucestershire is huge.”

The success of both the softball and hardball teams has been such that discussions have already begun over the possibility of former a third county disability team to act as a bridge between the two sides.

In addition to the county teams the GCB also supports disability clubs at Frenchay and Frocester as well as the county’s visually impaired team – the Gloucestershire Growlers.

The Board is also looking to set up a deaf team.

For more information on our disability cricket programmes including how to get involved please email GCB projects and programmes manager Chris Munden, email chris.munden@glosccc.co.uk or ring 07557924941.

For more information please contact Gloucestershire Cricket communications officer Luke Sellers at luke.sellers@glosccc.co.uk or on 07854705646.