As a continental winner for Best Overall Cricket Development Program and Best Junior Participation Initiative, Namibia now qualifies for ICC global awards in both categories. They are scheduled to be announced later this month.

According to Namibia Sport, development manager Marsia Reed said Cricket Namibia felt “very honoured” to add two more awards to its growing collection and that “it shows that our efforts are being recognised and that we are doing something right here in Namibia”.

The first national development manager to embrace the Revolver concept, Reed said: “We are definitely leaders in development programs in Africa and we are also assisting other African countries with their programs.”

Namibia Sport reports: “The Best Junior Participation Initiative award was specifically for Cricket Namibia’s Under 11 program, which included an Under 11 Cricket League, the Under 11 Coastal Cricket Development Tournament, and the Under 11 Revolver Cricket program, which took place in June last year.

“On that occasion, Namibia became the first country in the world to introduce the Revolver Cricket concept in an organised tournament.” (See earlier story)

To them, this was starkly illustrated by the inclusion of a game of Diamond Cricket on Brisbane Heat’s fan day program in the run-up to its opening Big Bash match against Sydney Sixers.

“With due respect, while we obviously recognise that games like Diamond Cricket have their place, we believe that, as a multi-tiered development tool, Revolver better represents the sort of future Australian cricket is looking to embrace,”” Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson said.

“As such, had the opportunity presented itself, we would have loved to have been able to showcase the Revolver concept at a time when Australian cricket is entering an exciting and challenging new era.”

Thomson said many junior cricket coaches and PE teachers had made the observation that, in its most structured form, Revolver Cricket’s basic layout is very similar to that of Diamond Cricket.

“But that, essentially, is where the similarity ends,”” he said.

“Across our whole range of games – from fun, “freestyle” schoolyard activities to competitive, scored team games – we would argue that, thanks to the unique dynamics that our revolving stumps create, Revolver Cricket is genuinely far more “inclusive”.

“Also, in terms of developing all the disciplines, batting, bowling and fielding – and not least the running between wickets – Revolver stays absolutely true to cricket.

Charlie Randall, a former long-time London Daily Telegraph cricket writer and member of the renowned Radlett Cricket Club, Hertfordshire, last year described Revolver as “the most potent development in grassroots cricket for a long time”.

He has since conducted a number of trial games across a range of age groups within Radlett CC’s junior program.

Reporting on his most recent trials, Randall (pictured top right) says he hopes cricket authorities “have the commonsense to accept overwhelming evidence how user-friendly and educational this game is”.

At this stage, Randall writes, “they probably see it as a clever gimmick that attracts novices whereas Revolver is a game that teaches AND retains players”.

“Having run quite a number of Revolver games, I KNOW the concept is exceptional, I have witnessed that ALL players ALWAYS love playing, and consequently one notes that the parents are impressed,” Randall writes.

“The competitive element can hardly be more realistic – the scoresheet is brilliant – and proper match situations happen in abundance, allowing proper applied coaching. I often stop games briefly to quickly make points about cricket playing.”

All enquiries to info@revolvercricket.com.

“This sounds very interesting and I think we can look at something to promote Revolver Cricket,” van Vuuren said in an email to Revolver co-inventor Peter Thomson.

A former Namibian rugby flyhalf and cricket allrounder, van Vuuren now runs a wildlife sanctuary, with his wife Marlice, about 42km outside the Namibian capital of Windhoek.

Meanwhile, Cricket Namibia CEO Laurie Pieters reports that ongoing wet weather – Windhoek has already had twice its annual rainfall – continues to frustrate attempts to introduce Revolver into local schools.

Weather permitting, a familiarisation session for coaches and teachers is due to go ahead this week and plans are already in place to include Revolver on a national Youth Festival program in May.

“We’re now going to have to find new dates,” reports Cricket Namibia CEO Laurie Pieters, already left rueing incessant rain that dogged a recent MCC tour of the minnow cricket nation.

The Namibian washout marks the third time, in as many countries, that a milestone Revolver Cricket event has fallen foul of decidedly non-cricket weather. In May last year, fallout from a volcanic eruption in Iceland (followed by freak Arctic-like conditions) delayed the staging of the first Revolver Cricket trial on English soil – at the Radlett Cricket Club in Hertfordshire.

The following month, untimely rain forced an ABC television crew to abandon plans to shoot a Revolver segment for the New Inventors program at St Eugene’s College, Burpengary, north of Brisbane. (see latest story below)

Cricket Namibia represents the first national body to embrace the Revolver Cricket concept as part of its national development program. Its innovative approach has twice been officially recognised by the ICC – winning the

Best Development Program award in 2004 and 2009.

The segment, shot at St Eugene’s College, Burpengary, north of Brisbane, in October, will feature Revolver Cricket’s development team and a group of St Eugene’s then Year 7 students. “From very early days, once we’d fine-tuned the whole Revolver concept, we identified the New Inventors program as an ideal vehicle for some serious national exposure,” Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson said. “To target it was one thing, of course. To successfully get through the application process was something else again. So to have it all finally come to fruition – especially after our first scheduled shoot was washed out back in June — is both very satisfying and exciting.” (New Inventors, ABC1, Wednesday, March 2, 8pm).

“To say this has come out of left field is something of an understatement and we’re really excited about it,” Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson said.

“Cricket Namibia not only represents the first national body to embrace the Revolver concept as part of its development program but, given the recognition it has earned as one of the game’s great innovators, this speaks volumes for Revolver’s credibility and its potential across the developing cricket world.”

Thomson said Cricket Namibia officials had been introduced to Revolver at an ICC-Africa Cricket Association seminar in Johannesburg in August. “We had previously been in touch with the ICC’s game development people (in Dubai) and fed them a lot of Revolver material but we were not aware it had gone any further until we received an email out of the blue from Cricket Namibia’s development manager, Marsia Reed, seeking further information,” he said. “It’s all rather snowballed from there, with follow-up correspondence from Cricket Namibia’s CEO, Laurie Pieters, ultimately confirming their decision to run with Revolver as from February next year.”

Thomson said there was a certain irony in the fact that an African country “facing incredible challenges on many fronts” had been the first to officially endorse Revolver Cricket.

“While we’ve had tremendous feedback during our trials phase here in Queensland – not least from Queensland Cricket itself – the reality is it’s only very recently that we’ve managed to get to the stage where Revolver is on Cricket Australia’s radar,” he said.

“The irony is that one of the initiatives we have been trying to promote addresses cricket’s challenges in rural and regional Australia – and specifically the indigenous community. And here we have a country like Namibia all set to run with Revolver while, in some ways, we’re still trying to get to first base here in Australia.”

“It’s fair to say the last couple of weeks have been quite monumental in terms of our getting the concept out there,” Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson said. “Without getting ahead of ourselves, we think we’ve achieved some significant milestones – not only in building Revolver’s profile with another successful demonstration game in our home patch (Queensland’s Sunshine Coast) but also in taking the game to a Brisbane GPS school that, amongst other things, has a fantastic reputation in the sporting arena.

“And on top of that, we’ve had some exciting news that a country in perhaps one of cricket’s greatest untapped markets is keen to introduce Revolver Cricket into their development program.” The Sunshine Coast demonstration, conducted at Cabooolture Rugby Union Club’s Morayfield complex, featured teams from St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Caboolture, and Morayfield East State School and attracted school principals, PE teachers and sports co-ordinators from a range of schools within the Sunshine Coast region – plus a Queensland Cricket game development representative.

While it’s still early days, Revolver Cricket’s inventors believe they’ve now laid the foundations for the establishment of a meaningful interschools competition embracing Revolver’s unique all-inclusive format. “We’ve had some great feedback all round – not least from the players themselves,” Thomson said. “But, in light of recent publicity that highlighted the importance of parents’ perceptions, perhaps the most telling came from the mother of one of the boys involved.” Anita Walk, whose son played for Morayfield East in the Tri-Fives exhibition match, described Revolver Cricket as “a refreshing new way of playing cricket”.

“I particularly like the idea that no player sits idle during the match!” she wrote. “My son (Jack) thoroughly enjoyed playing the game and has since, on many occasions, commented that he wished his school would adopt this form of cricket.” Meanwhile, the Revolver Cricket team is now reflecting on its biggest assignment to date – a testing two-hour session with 78 Year 5 students from Brisbane’s renowned Gregory Terrace. “We haven’t really had time to conduct a comprehensive debrief,” Thomson said, “but the early feedback was most encouraging and we’re looking forward to hopefully having an opportunity to work with the Gregory Terrace boys again.”

Referring to recent international developments “out of left field”, Thomson said it was “too early” to go into detail at this stage. “We’re mindful of not pre-empting anything,” he said, “but we’ve had contact from the development manager and CEO of a national cricket body who learned about us at an international seminar and are very keen to introduce a Revolver Cricket program in the not-too-distant future.”

Pitched at school principals, PE teachers and sports co-ordinators in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast region — and featuring teams from three local schools – the demonstration is being staged at Caboolture Rugby Union Club’s Morayfield complex, north of Brisbane. The event not only reflects a growing interest in the Revolver Cricket concept, but represents, in part, Revolver’s response to a Cricket Australia seminar in August which found the game is “out of touch with schoolkids”. “We said at the time we believe Revolver ticks all the boxes, in terms of its all-inclusiveness, in making the game a lot more fun all round,” said Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson. “Thanks largely to a local school principal who has embraced the Revolver concept, and believes it has serious legs, we now have a great opportunity to show more potential stakeholders what it’s all about.” Also attending the Revolver Cricket demonstration will be members of Queensland Cricket’s game development staff.

A Revolver Cricket segment on the ABC’s New Inventors program is now scheduled to go to air on Wednesday, March 2, 2011. This follows a gruelling five-hour shoot during which a group of year 7 boys from St Eugene’s College, Burpengary, north of Brisbane, strutted their stuff at the direction of an ABC field producer and film crew. To the relief of all concerned, brilliantly fine conditions prevailed – in stark contrast to the persistent rain that washed out the original scheduled New Inventors session in June. The Revolver Cricket team is indebted to St Eugene’s for making its budding cricket stars, and facilities, available – and, in particular, Terry Frawley, for his tireless efforts to ensure the success of the shoot.

“Australian cricket has been given a sobering wake-up call with an urgent warning it is becoming complacent, out of touch with schoolkids and governed by ‘pale, stale and male’ administrators,” News Limited’s chief cricket writer, Ben Dorries, wrote following Cricket Australia’s five-day Future of Cricket seminar. read the full story “The key point from the talkfest in Melbourne, involving 180 key Australian cricket stakeholders, was that cricket is simply not connecting with the younger generation and had lost massive ground to other sports.”

Dorries reported that Test great Greg Chappell had told the conference cricket had taken itself too seriously and, as a result, was no longer seen as fun by many youngsters in the 5-15 year age bracket. “Forget this business of front elbow up, seam position and all the technical stuff,” Chappell said. “We just have to encourage kids to go out and run, throw, catch and have fun. “That’s how we will attract the next generation of cricket fans.” CA public affairs manager Peter Young claimed in Dorries’ report that “cricket’s in good shape at the moment”, but added: ” … it’s not going to stay that way unless we re-engage and get cricket back into the schoolyard with a focus on fun.” “We need to start acting urgently to engage kids and women and be more agile in the administration of the game so we can be connected to the fast rate of change in today’s society,” Young said.

Revolver Cricket co-inventor Peter Thomson said he and his colleagues had welcomed the timing of the Future of Cricket seminar – described by Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland as “the single most important cricket meeting in Australia in 30 years”. “As it happens, only last week we put on a demonstration game for Queensland Cricket (at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Caboolture), which was very well received,” Thomson said. “And just yesterday we presented at a PE Teachers conference in Brisbane. “So, yes, from our perspective, the timing of the Cricket Australia seminar, and its findings, could not have been better. “We seriously believe that, in terms of making the game more fun all round — which happens to be our slogan — Revolver Cricket ticks all the boxes. “And, just as we have said elsewhere on this website, we invite key stakeholders to share our vision.”

Revolver Cricket is poised to make its television debut – featuring on the ABC’s popular New Inventors program. New Inventors field producer Belinda Gibbon has confirmed the segment will be filmed at St Eugene College, Burpengary, on Wednesday, June 23 – for viewing at a date to be fixed. St Eugene College already holds a special place in Revolver Cricket’s short history – as the venue for its first public demonstration game on March 17. That game, involving players from St Eugene and Caboolture’s St Peter’s Catholic Primary School – and attended by Queensland’s Sports Minister, Phil Reeves, and local state MP, Mark Ryan — was seen as the catalyst for several significant developments. Confirmation of Revolver Cricket’s TV breakthrough comes at a time when it is generating increasing interest on at least three fronts – in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Trial game at Radlett cricket club -Update

May 26, 2010

Revolver cricket receives favourable mention on the clubs website. Visit the Radlett Cricket club’s website for details. Radlett Cricket Club

The on-again, off-again trial finally went ahead at the renowned Radlett Cricket Club in Hertfordshire last Sunday as England’s domestic cricketers revelled in an a rare weekend of genuine summer weather. Sunday’s trial, featuring Revolver’s unique, all-inclusive Tri-Fives format and pitched at under 10s, was organised by Charlie Randall, a former long-time London Daily Telegraph cricket writer, Radlett club stalwart and avowed Revolver proponent. He is now looking at staging further trials in other age groups.

“Organising under 10s was a little chaotic at times because, understandably, the boys were still trying to grasp the game’s format,” Randall reports. “The fielding positions changed so quickly it kept catching them out, but most did grasp the idea eventually and discipline was incredibly good. There simply was no time to fool around or get distracted. “I succeeded in completing a proper scored game as the sole adult, keeping 15 young boys of varying ability interested under a hot sun. I doubt that can be achieved with any more orthodox formats.”

Randall also reports a range of upbeat comments from interested parents and coaches who watched the trial — including the club’s overseas professional, Shane Burger, who said: “I like the idea of three teams because the game’s quite competitive and looks very well organised.”

The Radlett CC trial, originally scheduled for Sunday, April 25, represents an exciting milestone in the development of Revolver Cricket.

Radlett CC is not only one of the more progressive cricket clubs in the United Kingdom – with an impressively strong youth program – but also the planned new administrative/training base for Middlesex CCC (moving from Lord’s). Revolver Cricket’s UK contact is: Charlie Randall chasrandall@googlemail.com

Sports Minister attends Revolver demo

March 18, 2010

Revolver Cricket scored quite a coup in having Queensland Sports Minister Phil Reeves attend its first official demonstration game — staged at St Eugene College, Burpengary, north of Brisbane — on March 17.

The interest shown by Mr Reeves, and local state MP Mark Ryan, represented the icing on the cake at a landmark event declared a resounding success by all involved.

The Revolver Tri Fives game featured players from St Eugene College and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Caboolture, plus a composite team brought together following the withdrawal (due to transport problems) of a team from Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Deception Bay.

Despite threatening weather, and an unfortunate scoring hiccup, all players demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for the game – and, overwhelmingly, reserved their biggest “tick” for the all-inclusive nature of the game which allowed them all to enjoy equal time batting, bowling and fielding . 

“To have all 15 boys equally involved with no one person dominating because of superior talent was the greatest success,” St Eugene’s Terry Frawley reported.

“I now have a principal ready to support us with some more equipment and 15 boys eager to teach the game to our school.” The Revolver Cricket team would like to acknowledge the magnificent, ongoing support shown by Mr Frawley and St Peter’s principal Jim Midgley. Mr Ryan, also a wonderful supporter of the Revolver concept, later presented all participants with a certificate, saying they had all been “part of history”. “When Revolver Cricket’s being played all over the world, you’ll be able to say you played in the first ever public demonstration game,” he told them. .

The adversarial culture is probably even more intense in ‘one’ on ‘one’ sports e.g. boxing. Athletes who make the transition from junior to elite senior level are probably characterised by both an unusual mental and physical toughness, probably also single mindedness and will to win. Anyone who has played sport would recognise that many of the characteristics/ cultural elements that are acceptable/valued/desirable in a sportsperson or sporting environment are not necessarily acceptable/valued/desirable in extreme forms in non sporting situations. Perhaps highly successful business people might say that success in business requires some measure of similar attributes.

We would contend that, as a sport, Revolver Cricket is markedly different and desirably so. The triangular ‘ revolving coalition’ configuration of Revolver imbues the game with a range of subtle incentives that are absolutely unique and valuable to a balanced life: Revolver is a contest between three teams not two. The contest is adversarial but not in a ‘one’ on ‘one’ sense. The structure of the game means that every participant has an equal opportunity, in fact an equal obligation, to participate to an equal extent as a bowler and batter and fielder.

Revolver encourages teams to strive for success, rewards are maximised where players exercise and accept co-operation, encouragement, leadership and respect for other participants especially when they are part of your coalition. And all other participants will at some stage of the contest be in coalition with you and your team. The structure of the game enjoins the players to exercise and accept leadership, encouragement and support in a way perhaps not normally dictated by instincts or learned inclinations.

Dominant players will learn that it is in their interests to support, encourage etc the weakest link not only in their team but the weakest link in the team which is at the time their coalition partner. Revolver will foster a revolutionary new dimension in, and definition of, ‘leadership’ in sport. We contend that Revolver will foster forms of leadership and behaviour that will be valued elsewhere in life. Revolver encourages the will to win. But the team that wins will know that each of the other teams in the contest contributed to their success because they were at some time in the contest their coalition partner. The non-winning teams have an invested share in the success of the winning team.

Dare I say that you can have a winner without losers or is that taking it too far? We contend that Revolver reconfigures the cultural competitive setting in team field sport without sacrificing rewards for skill and the striving for excellence. Considering junior/school sport, we further contend that Revolver has a strong inherent counter bullying culture.

Of course a person with an unreasoning bullying instinct will still find reason to take a set against other participant/s but we believe that such an approach, within the compass of the game, will be self defeating. We would hope that the lessons of Revolver would extend beyond the experience of the contest. *Brian Berge is a Revolver Cricket Enterprises consultant