The History of Blind Cricket
The game has its beginnings in 1922 in Melbourne, Victoria where it was first played at a hostel in Prahran. At the time of a Test Match two residents thought blind people could play cricket as well, and put rocks in a tin can and began to play a crude version of what we play today. The game was then introduced to other States in Australia (including NSW) and was mainly played during lunchtime at workshops where vision impaired people were employed.
In 1928 in Sydney, the first Interstate game took place between NSW and Victoria. Later the same year, a NSW team travelled to Melbourne to continue the challenge.
In January 1953, the Australian Blind Cricket Council was formed in conjunction with the inaugural Australian Blind Cricket Carnival (Championships) which were held in Kooyong in Melbourne.
History of the Blind Cricket Ball
The cane blind cricket balls were the first balls to be used in Australia from the mid 1920's through until 1972.
Then the red nylon blind cricket ball was used from 1972 to 1974 only.
The black nylon blind cricket ball has been in use since 1974 until the end of the 2002/2003 season.
The white nylon blind cricket ball was made especially for New Zealand in the early 1990's. This colour ball was found to be unsuitable for our game and therefore, the black ball was preferred in New Zealand as well as Australia.
(the cane and nylon balls are both hand woven around a wire frame and have lead for weight and bottle tops for sound placed inside)
A hard white plastic ball is currently used in Australia and it is slightly larger and has holes in it so sound can be released from the bottle tops and led weight. This ball has been in use since the beginning of the 2003/2004 season.
A small white solid plastic blind cricket ball with small metal pieces inside is presently used in India and a majority of the Sub Continent countries and this was the ball used during the first and second World Cups for Blind Cricket played in India during November 1998 & December 2002. The World Blind Cricket Council has investigated the option of adopting a new ball, which has still not been accepted by all participating countries through out the world.
Blind Cricket New South Wales
1/73 Wentworth Avenue, Wentworthville NSW 2145