NATARSHA Williams has always loved cricket. She\u2019s passionately played and watched the game since she was a young girl.<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t until her own children had grown older and more independent that she realised she had more to give back to the sport.<\/p>\n
In 2014, Mrs Williams realised how much cricket equipment was \u201ccoming and going\u201d at the Wendouree Cricket Club.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery year, kids seemed to get new gear as they grew up and got bigger,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That lead her to asked questions about what happened to their old equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe looked at collecting all the used cricket gear and doing something with it. I just googled and found a contact from Northern Territory Cricket,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came across a guy who was really passionate. He did a lot of visits to indigenous communities that were often quite remote.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d run cricket clinics with the kids and adults for a week or two. When he left, the kids could still play cricket because they had our gear.\u201d<\/p>\n
That initial idea has grown to become the Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) initiative, collecting and sending equipment to underprivileged communities within the Northern Territory and developing countries.<\/p>\n
With further online research, Mrs Williams made links with former Bangladesh Cricket Captain, Aminul Islam.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been \u201cvery keen\u201d to get gear to Bangladesh, organising and distributing the donations himself \u2013 including 80 pairs of runners and pads \u2013 just this week, to academies all over the country.<\/p>\n
The CWB team has also sent small consignments to Vanuatu, India and Cambodia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not letting anyone leave the country without taking a bag of cricket gear somewhere in the world,\u201d Mrs Williams laughs. \u201cWhen someone\u2019s going I say, \u2018you can fit this in your bag, I\u2019m sure!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the children and adults on the receiving end, no matter where in the world, are \u201cecstatic about it,\u201d especially in Bangladesh where they are \u201cabsolutely passionate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just love cricket. They have no space and no gear. I can\u2019t fix the space but I can fix the gear to a certain extent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good gear so it will hopefully last them a while and give them potential to be good cricketers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every time Mrs Williams arrives at training, a piece of equipment is donated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCricket Without Boundaries is great for the club and the club\u2019s very proud of it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just become a part of their world that they see they can give back to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are next on the agenda and Mrs Williams continues to network with a lot of new clubs, aiming to get them on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to expand. It takes just one person to think it\u2019s a good idea and away you go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so much gear that sits in the back of sheds for mice to lay nests in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might as well give it to someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you would like to donate some of your cricket gear or have any queries, contact the Wendouree Cricket Club, wendouree@club.cricketvictoria.com.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NATARSHA Williams has always loved cricket. She\u2019s passionately played and watched the game since she was a young girl. But it wasn\u2019t until her own children had grown older and more independent that she realised she had more to give back to the sport. In 2014, Mrs Williams realised how much cricket equipment was \u201ccoming […]<\/p>\n