Durham CCC backs drive to ask fans how to improve cricket

Durham tea lady tea lady wants a chalk ball to help young players improve their game.

Durham Cricket Club members and staff are doing their bit to encourage fans to share their ideas for improving the game.

They appear in a video in which Toyota and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) ask fans how they think cricket could be made better.

The person behind the best cricketing innovation could win a brilliant prize package, including a bat signed by members of the England team, a pair of tickets for the Royal London One Day International against Pakistan on September 4, and the chance to meet one of the international squad members.

Durham groundsman shares his idea for enhanced spectator views.

They will also have the chance to be involved with Toyota and the ECB in exploring how their idea might potentially be put into practice in the game.

The Durham County Cricket Club members appear in the video with Test skipper Alastair Cook and his fellow England stars Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood.

They talk about some of their own innovative ideas for making the game better.

Durham groundsman Ben Hall suggests rotating cricket grounds for varied spectator views, while tea lady Lorna Bland would like to see balls release a puff of chalk during training to help kids judge line and length.

Toyota and the ECB are turning to supporters and players in this second phase of their Future of Cricket project, having been given some inspirational tips by younger fans and players last year.

Alastair Cook said: “Last year we had some fantastic ideas from the kids, now we want the rest of you to let us know how we could make cricket better.

"My own idea is to have a ‘Snick’ machine that aids training by replicating the angles the ball flies off the bat to the slip catchers."

Toyota, the official vehicle partner to the ECB, has launched a digital hub for people to contribute their ideas HERE. Entries can also be made on Twitter using #bettercricket.

The closing date is June 16, after which a panel of independent judges will choose the three best ideas. These will then be put to a public vote to determine the overall winner.

Toyota's Stuart Sanders said: “Our Future of Cricket campaign has already produced some amazing contributions from children learning to play cricket through the Chance to Shine charity.

"Now we want the rest of the country's fans and players to have their say and potentially see their cricketing innovation benefit the game in the future.”