ECB hosts ‘Taste of Cricket’ community event at Llandaff Cricket Club

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announces it will be hosting one of its Taste of Cricket events, supported by Remitly, at Llandaff Cricket Club in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday 5th July  

·                     Part of the existing Raising The Game platform, designed to ensure everyone feels welcome to play and enjoy cricket, the Taste of Cricket events will celebrate the unique relationship the sport has with food, through the ‘match tea’ occasion, and its ability to bring communities together   

·                     The event at Llandaff Cricket Club will be the second in a series of eight community club events, taking place across England and Wales this summer, with up to 100 more clubs invited to hold extra special match teas for their hard work in making the game more inclusive    

·                     Taste of Cricket will be a celebration of diversity within the sport – with exciting twists on the traditional cricket tea being served including Lamb Chops & Masala fries, and Leek Bhajis – all of which are authentic favourites of Llandaff Cricket Club 

·                     Following the summer festivities, Taste of Cricket will unveil a cookbook to inspire cricket tea creativity, and is offering two fans the chance to submit their own recipe to be featured in the book via  www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.  

LONDON, 26 June 2024: Today, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced Llandaff Cricket Club will be hosting one of 100+ community events taking place this summer as part of the Taste of Cricket campaign. Taking place on Friday 5th July, the event will see the club open its doors to its community, to celebrate all those who work hard to make cricket more inclusive in the area.  

The Llandaff CC x Taste of Cricket event is one of eight community club events taking place across England and Wales this summer, with up to 100 more clubs invited to open up their doors to their local communities for a special match tea, sponsored by Remitly. Each match tea event will showcase different stories of community clubs and volunteers who are driving positive change within the game and improving access to cricket.   

​​​Llandaff CC is a club that has built a thriving and inclusive community for its South Asian members and beyond, across men’s, women’s and kids’ cricket. Formed through a merger of Cardiff Gymkhana and Welsh Asians in September 2019,  the club is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when different communities collaborate and come together to build an inclusive environment for all. Llandaff CC is now home to many members of Cardiff’s South Asian cricketing community – as well as offering a welcoming space for Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and Jewish members alike to play together. It has also placed the women’s game at the top of its strategic priorities for the next five years. 

Challenging the outdated stereotype of plain sandwiches, all Taste of Cricket events will demonstrate the true variety of cuisines that are often shared during a match tea. For Llandaff CC, this includes a fusion of Welsh classics combined with South Asian twists – from Welsh cakes and rarebit, to leek bhajis and karak chai.  

Money transfer remittance service, Remitly, will also be offering an additional 100 inspirational community clubs, who excel at promoting diversity and inclusion, an opportunity to get in on the action this summer. Participating clubs will receive a Taste of Cricket hamper, including a supermarket voucher, picnic goodies, and recipes to supercharge their very own Taste of Cricket match tea.  

Following the summer festivities, and just in time for Christmas gifting, the Taste of Cricket cookbook will launch later this year – featuring a range of beloved classics and innovative twists on match tea recipes, crowdsourced from grassroots volunteers at clubs, cricket and foodie royalty, and famous fans of the game. The ECB is also offering cricket fans the chance for their very own match tea recipe to be included in the cookbook. To be in with a chance, visit www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.   

Adnan Haddadi, Club Secretary and Junior Coach from Llandaff Cricket Club notes “We’re really excited to welcome everyone down to celebrate the leaps and bounds we’ve made as a club in making cricket an open and inclusive sport, both for our local community and more widely. Food is an amazing vehicle that reflects the true diversity of our club, and Taste of Cricket will allow us all to come together, take a moment and reflect on how far we’ve come!”  

Kate Miller, ​​​the ECB’s Chief Communications Officer comments, “Being one of the only sports that breaks play to eat, cricket and food are intrinsically linked. Holyport Cricket Club has a long history of welcoming players from all corners of the world, making the club a natural partner for our Taste of Cricket campaign. We look forward to celebrating this profound connection and the power it has to unite communities, both this summer with our Taste of Cricket event series, and beyond with the cookbook.”   

Adil Rashid MBE, who last year marked his 100th T20 international appearance for England, added, “Food has always played a big part in my life – as someone of Pakistani heritage, some of my fondest memories are centred around mealtimes with family. So, to be a part of a sport that celebrates different cuisines and cultures in such a unique way is really special.   

“One of my favourite things about touring is getting to try the incredible variation of match teas across the world, so I’m very much looking forward to sampling the eclectic mix of food enjoyed by communities across England and Wales with Taste of Cricket.”   

To stay up to date with ​​Taste of Cricket,  please visit: www.ecb.co.uk/about/edi/raising-the-game.  

To attend the Taste of Cricket event at Llandaff Cricket Club, head down to the club from 5pm on Friday 5th July.