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Historic Sussex game could disappear, warns club

BBC Partridge Green Stoolball Club and Blackstone Stoolball ClubBBC
Stoolball can be traced back to the 15th Century with many people believing it predates cricket

There are fears that a ball game which originated in Sussex more than 500 years ago is at risk of disappearing.

Stoolball resembles cricket and in the 1950s there were 3,000 clubs across the country.

By the 1980s this number drastically declined to 250 and has continued to dwindle since.

Sonia Fry, chairperson of the Central Sussex Stoolball Division, said numbers had "reduced massively" over the last 10 years and that every team in the division had to "scratch around" for players.

Just like cricket, stoolball has a batting and fielding team where batters score by hitting the ball into the field and running between the two wickets.

The game, which is believed to predate cricket, was previously at risk of disappearing had it not been revived for men disabled in World War One.

The first game since that revival was played at Brighton's Royal Pavilion hospital in 1917.

The game was previously played in schools but now Ms Fry believes stoolball "just isn't seen enough".

The Central Sussex division has lost four teams in three years.

Natalie McDonald, Gracie Asdett and Suzanne McDonald
Natalie McDonald, Gracie Asdett and Suzanne McDonald all play for Blackstone Stoolball Club

With teams struggling to fill the 11-player sides, Blackstone Stoolball Club has three generations from one family.

Suzanne McDonald said: "My mum used to play, so as a child I was dragged round the stoolball pitches as was my daughter [Natalie]."

Natalie McDonald's daughter Gracie Asdett added: "I like it, it's a nice way to get out, just to go play, go out in the sunshine."

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