The GCF welcomed 20 Muslim cricketers to the Seat Unique Stadium, to take part in the second annual Ramadan celebration evening!
On Friday 28th March we were delighted to host this event, which sees a tapeball cricket tournament take place at the home of the Gloucestershire Cricket during a special time of year for the Muslim community. Many of the group are accustomed to tapeball cricket having attended the Chance to Shine Street sessions in Easton, some of which have done so for over a decade. There was a special guest in attendance, with Gloucestershire CCC spinner Zafar Gohar on hand to umpire some matches and offer some advice to the bowlers.
The event has a far bigger impact than the cricket tournament itself, with the group breaking their fast and praying together. Ramadan fell in March and April this year, which provided an opportunity for the group to come together and celebrate their hard work over the winter months at the Street sessions, before heading outside for the summer season at their respective clubs. Many Gloucestershire clubs are represented within this group, but they are united in their passion for cricket and the value of the Chance to Shine Street sessions.
Harry Watts, the Club Development Manager at the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation, said:
“We are delighted to host this event and greatly appreciate the efforts the group go to attend our weekly sessions throughout Ramadan, so hosting this event is important for us to recognise their hard work.
“This event is one of my highlights of the year as it brings together teenage cricketers looking to develop their game, club cricketers that have been a part of the Street programme for many years and also parents of children that attend the youth Street sessions, who are all valued members of this group. With the prayers led by members of the group and food provided by the family of one of the coaches, Bilal, there is a real community feel to this event. We look forward to hosting this event and watching it go from strength to strength.”
If you’re interested in joining the free Chance to Shine Street sessions, please get in contact with our Club & Programmes Officer, Kieran Slade: Kieran.slade@gloucestershirecricketfoundation.org