Organisers hope Walking Cricket will bowl over participants

‘Walking Cricket’ sessions are now taking place at Thornton YMCA and Palatine Leisure Centre.

They are at Thornton (1pm-2.30pm) until February 14 and Palatine (11.30am-12.30pm) until March 25, costing £7 per player.

Sessions use a soft ball, with basic skill development and a variety of indoor games being played.

They are delivered by Fylde Coast Cricket Coaching (FCCC), who provide a range of coaching programmes for senior and junior cricketers.

FCCC’s joint-owner Bobby Denning said: “It came from an internal review of our programmes, particularly after our ‘Cricket Cubs’ continues to be popular.

“If we have a programme for three and four-year-olds, it was felt we needed one for adults wanting to play the sport for the first time or former players wanting to stay active.

“With other walking sports happening locally, cricket needed one on the coast.

“It was clear as we engaged with a wide network of local authorities and associated organisations that it links in with wider health and wellbeing priorities.”

The plan is to get some fixtures played in the near future between the programmes delivered so far.

“Some games on the back of the programmes are essential, particularly as we now have some interest from players already competing in walking sports,” Denning added.

“It would be great to get some cricket club v cricket club games going at some point. We have enough on the coast.”

The sessions are aimed at people of all abilities and experience with further information available by emailing [email protected]