The MP for Bath has called on the Government to invest more in grassroots cricket, warning that children in state schools continue to face significant barriers to taking part in the sport.
Speaking in Parliament on December 16, Wera Hobhouse referenced findings from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, which highlighted class-based discrimination as well as structural racism and sexism within the game.
The report found that children educated in state schools remain under-represented on cricket’s talent pathways, with high equipment costs and limited access to facilities and coaching cited as key obstacles.
Figures from the commission showed that independent schools are eight times more likely to have a grass pitch and ten times more likely to employ a qualified cricket coach. It also found that 58 per cent of the England men’s team in 2021 had attended fee-paying schools.
During the debate, the Bath MP highlighted the role of local clubs in widening participation, including Lansdown Cricket Club, which works with state schools in the area. Through these partnerships, the club has delivered more than 200 coaching sessions to nearly 5,000 children.
She also raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of such projects without consistent funding, particularly when it comes to girls’ facilities and access to qualified local coaches.
The MP criticised the reduction in planned government investment in cricket infrastructure, noting that a previously announced £35 million programme for grassroots cricket was scaled back to £1.5 million, funding two indoor cricket domes instead of the 16 originally proposed.
She also pointed to the wider benefits of grassroots sport for children and young people, including improved mental health, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Wera Hobhouse said, “Grassroots cricket has the power to transform lives, but only if every child has a fair chance to take part. Clubs like Lansdown show what is possible when local partnerships are properly supported, but without sustained investment, too many children will continue to have boundaries to their ambitions.
“A child’s opportunity to play sport should never depend on their parents’ income or the school they attend.”
