Skip to content

World record for mass cricket lesson set at Lord's

Matt Graveling
BBC London
Reporting fromLord's Cricket Ground
BBC A group of children wearing caps and burgundy sweatshirts and standing on the pitch in Lords cricket grounds, throwing balls in the air.BBC
The charity Chance to Shine says its cricket lesson was the biggest ever

A charity set up to get kids playing cricket is celebrating after achieving a Guinness World Record for the world's biggest cricket lesson.

The new record - set on Monday - involved 943 participants, beating the previous holders whose 645-strong group was created in Birmingham in 2022.

Chance to Shine helps get cricket into state schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

Children from 35 schools from across the country came to the home of the game, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, north London, to take part in the event.

A large group of young people stand and sit on the grass at Lord's cricket ground. The stands are in the background.
More than 900 children took part in the cricket lesson at Lord's on Monday

Chance to Shine is marking its 20th anniversary and says it has reached more than seven million children since it was founded.

Kate Stephens from the charity said playing cricket could help children to start thinking about their other abilities and what else they can do.

"They can take that back into the classroom, and it really helps them to grow.

"It's the ultimate team sport, but actually the individual in the team sport matters so much.

"So you can be the batter, you can be the bowler, you're fielding, you're catching but actually you're also a team working together."

Guinness World Records' official adjudicator Glenn Pollard was on hand to present the certificate of achievement.

Hundreds of children standing on the pitch at Lord's in a group celebrating, many with their arms in the air. TV Gladiator Fury is in the front row.
There were jubilant scenes when it was announced the record had been broken
A woman in a yellow summer dress smiles for the camera as she holds up a certificate of achievement from Guinness World Records with an official from the organisation.
Guinness World Records sent an official adjudicator to certify the event

Celebrity supporters included Fury from BBC TV show Gladiators.

She said: "There's so many varieties of kids here, there might be kids who are shy, like myself - I was very shy as a kid, so it's a great way to meet new people, work together, learn new skills.

"I think that's really cool and just to have a fun day out."

Rob Ellington, a teacher at James Elliman Academy in Slough, called the event "the most important day of the year for these kids.

"It's an opportunity they would never have had. And for me to see what it would do for their confidence, everything like that, it's a very special day for our kids at this school."

A young woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail stands on the pitch at Lords.. Children are playing in the background. She is wearing a black t-shirt.
TV Gladiator Fury said the event helped children work together and learn new skills

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

More on this story