90 Not Out! in Thame High Street

PROBABLY for the first time ever, Thame town centre was closed early one sunny, summer afternoon in order to offer people young and old the opportunity of celebrating a monarch’s birthday – by playing a game of cricket in the street, just as thousands of children everywhere would have done in the 1950s when our Queen came to the throne.

No traffic, no parked cars, just kids playing cricket in the street in Thame town centre

On Friday, June 10, 2016, the local community joined together to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. The Mayor of Thame, Linda Emery, bowled the first ball to Thame’s MP, John Howell. Other local dignitaries – Sarah Taylor, High Sheriff of Oxfordshire; Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council Chairman; Paul Harrison, South Oxfordshire Council Chairman; Steve Connell, Mayor of Didcot and Simon Brown, England Test Player (ECB ), all joined in the fun with local children in Thame High street.

Simon Brown demonstrated game tactics to the budding cricketers and they were able to join in specific kids kwick cricket matches and practice in portable cricket nets. There were opportunities to play in crazy catch competitions, sky high catches, hanging ball batting, Batfast cricket and throwing practice.

The whole cricket extravaganza was the brainchild of Mr Manoj Parmar, an Indian, ex pro cricketer and local sports mentor at MP Cricket Academy in Thame where the whole Academy team is dedicated to introducing children to the benefits of what Manoj describes as ‘this fabulous team sport’.

Manoj himself was delighted with the way the ’90 Not Out’ street cricket event went, and concluded: “Special thanks must go to Thame Town Council and also every single parent that gave up their precious time to make this extraordinary event take place.

“I couldn’t be happier to see so many kids running around, having fun playing cricket in Thame High Street.”