Pupils from Chiltern Academy had a day to remember as they travelled to the home of cricket to take part in the Lord’s Taverners National Table Cricket Finals.

The Luton school’s side were one of 12 to compete in the Nursery Pavilion, at Lord’s Cricket Ground, for the right to call themselves national champions.  

Teacher Yogesh Mistiri was full of pride after seeing his students reach the finals of the tournament and voiced his hope that they will remember their experiences for the rest of their lives.  

He said: “It’s been incredible to see the development and the dedication that the students have put in to wanting to be better, to get to an event like today has been incredible and credit to the students.

“They mean a lot to me and it’s good to see them progress and develop and bring them to a place like this and I hope it’s a memory they cherish wherever they go in life. 

"One thing I remember about my days at school is the sport competitions and the places my teachers took us to, so I hope they remember it.    

“Life’s all about creating experiences and memories and as many happy ones you can create and give to the students is fulfilling and hopefully they feel happy for it too. 

"Any sport that you can make accessible to students and get as many people as possible participating in sports in any form opens up so many barriers.  

“Sport has no barriers, it transcends race, culture, gender. It’s open for everyone and it should be.”  

Table cricket is a fully inclusive, adapted version of the game aimed at young people living with a wide range of learning and physical disabilities played on a table tennis table. Many young people with a disability have limited opportunities to participate in sport, but table cricket provides an incredible opportunity for them to make new friends and develop life skills such as confidence and independence, while also helping them understand the importance of leadership and teamwork in competitive environments.

Much of the Lord’s Taverners work in cricket for young people with disabilities is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by the Postcode Active Trust, in addition to support from the ECB and Sport England.

Watching on at Lord’s were an array of stars, including TV personality and comedian Matt Lucas as well as England cricketers Jack Leach, Anya Shrubsole, Jonny Gale and Alfie Pyle.

Leach said: “It’s a pleasure to come down and see everyone enjoying the game. It’s a great game, I had a little go and it’s quite difficult. I enjoyed seeing how competitive everyone is. It’s the national finals, it’s great for kids to be able to come here to the home of cricket to play.  

“It’s everyone’s dream as a kid to play at Lord’s and for them to be able to do that is very special. We want the game to be accessible to everyone. The great work that Lord’s Taverners and the ECB have done to fund this and make it accessible is really special. Everyone deserves that chance, and it is great to see them making the most of it.”  

The Lord’s Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality. The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities – visit www.lordstaverners.org