A TEAM of visually impaired cricketers are to take on an Oxfordshire league side on Sunday in a game designed to raise the profile of the sport in the county.

Oxford club side Cairns Fudge, which plays in the Oxfordshire Cricket Association league, will face a partially-sighted XI including players from all over the country and five local players from Vibno, Visually Impaired But Not Old.

The 20-over contest will be hosted by Wheatley Park School, at Holton, and starts at 3pm.

Ben Allcock, of the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, said: “The game came about when Daf Howells, from Cairns Fudge, contacted the association about a month ago.

“Part of Daf’s motivation for this is that he attended a volunteer training day with OAB a few years ago and, though he was not able to help through volunteering at the time, he has wanted to do something for the cause ever since.

“The idea of a bringing together a game to promote blind cricket in Oxfordshire came about.

“This is something we think is important since there’s no such club currently, which is something that many young blind and partially-sighted people in the area, like the members of Vibno, often mention to us as frustrating.

“I then contacted Kevin Pamphilon , who leads Vibno, and we have since received a great deal of help from John Garbet, of British Blind Sport, who has agreed to bring some kit and other blind and partially-sighted players to the occasion. Though it will follow official Blind Cricket League rules as closely as possible, the game will be of a very relaxed nature, with an unusual mix of sighted and blind players marking the feel of the community coming together.”

The sighted team will wear goggles and blindfolds to simulate different visual impairments and a larger ball, with ball bearings inside it, will be used.

James Race, of Cairns Fudge CC, said: “We’re really looking forward to it and raising the profile locally, but it’s a complete unknown for us and I’m fairly convinced we’re going to get beaten.

“But it’s not about that, it’s about getting everyone down there and getting behind the event.”

Nine members of Cairns Fudge will also be running the Oxford Town & Gown run on Sunday with the aim of raising £1,000 for the OAB.

For more information about blind cricket, see britishblindsport.org.uk/cricket.htm