Lord's Taverners host historic cricket game inside Oval gas holder

By Will Castle, Sportsbeat

Lord’s Taverners held a unique game inside the Oval’s iconic gas holder to celebrate their new £750,000 partnership with the Berkeley Foundation.

Taverners provide innovative, inclusive, and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities to develop the knowledge, skills, capabilities, and confidence required to overcome the challenges of inequality, raise their aspirations, and reach their potential.

The event, which saw former England captain Mike Gatting and Surrey County disability cricket captain Jonny Gale attend, incorporated a great cause into the sendoff of the gas holder - a structure which has overlooked the Oval since the 19th century.

“We are really committed to the mission to demonstrate that cricket can be the most inclusive sport,” said Lord’s Taverners chief executive Mark Curtin.

“What that means is that we want young people to be able to see the game as something that they can come into, that they can be welcomed. It's adapted for them, what they want and what they need from the game.

“From there they develop skills and characteristics such as teamwork, communication, resilience, determination, and lots of other things.”

Announcing a three-year partnership with Berkeley, the Taverners will be able to continue their vital work in the community, now expanding their initiatives to spread the word of disability cricket and the immense benefits it can have on social development.

“We’ve been supporting the 11 years now, and it’s grown from a small number of counties now to a national programme,” said Tom Pocock, Berkeley Group’s London-focussed managing director.

“This next three years of commitment really gives them that next stage of investment into the programme, and we're really starting to see the growth and the outcomes of the programme, particularly with some of the older who are now going on to employment opportunities.

“Berkeley is helping them to really develop their skills outside of just the cricket.”