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“It’s been an incredible journey” – The story of Somerset Disabled Cricket Club
As part of Disability History Month, we will be publishing a number of articles focusing on Somerset Disabled Cricket Club, Somerset VI Cricket Club and the great work that Somerset Cricket Foundation carry out.
Our first piece looks at the history of Somerset Disabled CC.
Somerset Disabled Cricket Club was formed in 1997 and has become one of the strongest teams in the Country. As well as achieving success on a national scale, SDCC also manages to provide opportunities for individuals of all ages and abilities and all types of physical and learning disabilities.
This is a club run by disabled people for disabled people.
Who better to discuss the history of the Club than Julian Bellew, who was the driving force behind its inception in 1997.
We spoke to Julian recently to discuss the rise and rise of Somerset Disabled Cricket Club.
Let’s start at the start. How did the Club come into being?
“I went to a special school for disabled children, and I played cricket with all my mates at every break and lunch time,” he explained. “When we left school, that opportunity was no longer there because we didn’t feel like we could compete in mainstream cricket. So, a few of us started playing together. I was a massive Somerset fan and had been a Member for many years and thought that it would be great if we could play disabled cricket for the County that I loved. I was already playing a bit for a South West team and there was a fledgling England side that I was fortunate enough to be picked for.
“I wrote to Peter Anderson, who was the Somerset Chief Executive at the time, and he put that letter on the desk of a man named Andrew Moulding who worked for Somerset Cricket Board. Andrew, or Moulders as he would become known to us all, invited me in and said that it was something that they would love to do. He asked me what we would need to get this off the ground and I suggested that we hold a taster day. We made some posters and things like that, and I remember stuffing loads of envelopes to any organisation that could promote the sessions: GP surgeries, care providers, day centres etc. We invited people to come along to the Centre of Excellence and waited to see who would turn up.
“Myself, Moulders and an amazing man by the name of Dan Hodges were nervously waiting in the indoor school that morning thinking that no one was going to turn up, but we were inundated! 45 people came through the door that day. It was great!
“All we needed now was to get out there on the field at the County Ground. We booked in a date to play Lancashire (who were the only other disabled County Club at the time), we picked a team, but it absolutely bucketed down with rain! We ended up having an indoor game. They thrashed us, but it didn’t matter because we had started our journey. I may have lit the spark, but it was Moulders’ determination and drive that got us going. I can’t speak highly enough of Somerset County Cricket Club and the Board, as it was then, because they delivered pretty much everything that we ever asked for.
“Dan Hodges definitely deserves a special mention. He was a legend in our eyes. He coached us from 1997 until he passed away a few years ago. He was still coaching us towards the end when he had Parkinson’s Disease because he really wanted to be there with us. I remember that we got to the final of the County Championship in the year that Dan passed away. There was a lot of emotion that day. It was a game we should have won but we somehow threw it away. It was an emotional dressing room afterwards because everyone wanted to win it for Dan. Thankfully, we went on to win it the following year and I think the year after that as well. Every year we still hold an event called Dan’s Day where our players play against friends and family, we have a hog roast and raise money for charity.”
What were the next steps?
“We started doing regular winter coaching sessions to try and improve the standard. Sometimes we were fortunate that a few of the Somerset pros would pop into the sessions and give us some advice. In our second year there was probably about half a dozen counties playing disabled cricket and there were some national eight-a-side tournaments so we started competing in those. There was no County Championship for us back then, so we decided to organise our own competitions. Through Moulders, we were able to organise some indoor competitions which was really important because we needed competitive games rather than just coaching sessions.
“That gave us a really great platform on which to build and a couple of years after that the ECB created a national County Championship which we could compete in. Back then we had one squad of players and eventually we managed to get some fixtures for a Second XI, but now there are so many more opportunities. We had 97 people at our end of season dinner this year. That just shows that the County Club and the Foundation have taken it to the next level. It’s fantastic that these players have a supportive and welcoming space where anyone, regardless of their ability, can participate. It’s been an incredible journey
“The Foundation, and Steve Gass in particular, are doing an incredible job of raising the profile of disability cricket and by doing so they are helping to increase participation. They are creating opportunities to enable far more people to get involved and I can’t speak highly enough of the work that Steve and the Foundation are doing.”
What would Julian like to see happen next?
“I’d like to see a little bit more coverage for the way that the game can change people’s lives. There are so many stories out there with really powerful messages. There was a video that Somerset made recently about a young player named Fin who has played for us a few times and is involved in Super 1s. That message was so powerful.
“We need to highlight more of the work that goes on at grassroots level because what someone like Fin is achieving is as important as what someone who is playing for England is achieving. It’s great to have role models, but we mustn’t forget the work that goes on at grassroots level.”
Since it’s formation, Somerset Disabled CC now has three teams: Dragons, Super and D40. The Dragons team is the entry point and is ideal for new players or beginners looking for some friendly social cricket, whereas the Super 9 and D40 are formats suited to players with experience of cricket.
For more information on Somerset Disabled CC click the link below:
For more information on Somerset Cricket Foundation click below:
