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im i too old to start playing cricket

Mynameispie

Cricket Spectator
Im 18 and live in the north east of england. Ive always wanted to play cricket however due to medical reason i couldnt. however i no longer have those restrictions. My question is at 18 and not playing cricket since 11 is it possible to get started. any recommendation or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
He said he's 18 and not played cricket since he was 11 so he's not at any level yet I'd guess (hence his question what to do to get started)
I mean, I was asking like whether he atleast played some gully cricket or something similar and more so any idea on proficiency level.
 

peterhrt

U19 Vice-Captain
Contact a local club. Most welcome new players. The bigger clubs will offer coaching. Plenty of folk in the UK take up the game in their twenties and thirties so age won't be a problem.

I believe it's mostly Saturday league cricket in the north-east. Finding a club that also plays Sunday friendlies, or midweek evening T20s, would be a bonus.
 

Brook's side

International Regular
Cricket's maybe slightly more restrictive than some other sports for late entry due to having quite specific techniques to be coached.

But really it's not an issue at all. I've seen blokes in their 40s rock up at a club and join in, and not very skilled blokes at that. They play on a Sunday and just field at first, and get involved with things on the non-playing side along with everyone else, and are just a part of the team and the club.

As long as you get on with people in general then there's no problem at all.

As a general rule, if you ask "Am I too old too start....(whatever it is)", then if you are under 40, the answer is no you aren't.
People start degree courses at 80. There was a story at the weekend of a D-Day veteran marrying at 100.

I would struggle to think of anything that it is too late to start up to the age of 30.
 

cnerd123

likes this
Contact a local club. Most welcome new players. The bigger clubs will offer coaching. Plenty of folk in the UK take up the game in their twenties and thirties so age won't be a problem.

I believe it's mostly Saturday league cricket in the north-east. Finding a club that also plays Sunday friendlies, or midweek evening T20s, would be a bonus.
Yea this is the best advice. Just get in touch with the clubs nearby to you and ask if you can join a net session. You should eventually find a social team that's accommodating to beginners.
 

Arachibutyrophobic

Cricket Spectator
Im 18 and live in the north east of england. Ive always wanted to play cricket however due to medical reason i couldnt. however i no longer have those restrictions. My question is at 18 and not playing cricket since 11 is it possible to get started. any recommendation or advice would be greatly appreciated.
18 is absolutely not too old. I'd try to find a club with multiple teams at all levels in the local leagues. For example my local league goes from division A to O. My lads' club runs three teams which play in B, G and N. One is good, one is ok and one is pretty terrible but they love the game and enjoy it. If you go to a club like that you can start off at a low level and move up if your abilities allow it.

But it is the middle of June so get a move on or the season will be done. The best of luck to you.

And a rule of thumb I have about cricket. Ask them what the building with the changing rooms and bar is called. If it's the clubhouse they are ok, if it's the pavilion they are a right bunch of w4nkers and you should look elsewhere.
 
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Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
And a rule of thumb I have about cricket. Ask them what the building with the changing rooms and bar is called. If it's the clubhouse they are ok, if it's the pavilion they are a right bunch of w4nkers and you should look elsewhere.
Nah, it's clubhouse for golf and pavilion for cricket, nothing wankerish about that at all (might be a Southern thing).

I once kept wicket in a charity match, alongside me at slip was a fella who spent most of his life in a wheelchair. He hobbled from one end to the other after each over, but never once complained despite the obvious pain he was in, just loved being out on the field and being part of the banter. He was an inspiration (dropped a ****ing sitter mind). But it shows that anyone can play cricket at any point in life if they put their mind to it.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Yeah I mean most cricket "pavilions" at club level (in my experience anyway) are basically glorified garden sheds anyway tbh.
 

Arachibutyrophobic

Cricket Spectator
Maybe it's a local thing. A lot of clubs around here have roots in mining communities and definitely have clubhouses no matter how many facilities they have. In the leafy suburbs they have pavilions.
 

chris.hinton

International Captain
Im 18 and live in the north east of england. Ive always wanted to play cricket however due to medical reason i couldnt. however i no longer have those restrictions. My question is at 18 and not playing cricket since 11 is it possible to get started. any recommendation or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Never too old. Join a local club (Perhaps the smallest one) and go in their nets and hopefully you will pick it up quickly and they will pick you for one of their sides
 

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