Surrey's walking cricket is up for a national award - and Sutton's own walking cricket is taking names

A Surrey programme that has brought hundreds of new players into the game has been shortlisted by the ECB. At Cheam, we are gathering names for walking cricket in Sutton and Cheam ahead of free tasters next summer.

Walking cricket does what it says: no running, a soft ball, and a game that suits people who thought their cricket days were over, or who never had any. This week it got some national recognition.

The Surrey Cricket Foundation's walking cricket programme has been shortlisted for Community Engagement Programme of the Year at the ECB's Business of Cricket Awards, the Foundation announced on 4 November. The winner will be named at a ceremony at the Kia Oval on Thursday 12 November.

The numbers behind the nomination are striking. According to the Foundation, 26 clubs in the county now offer the format, with more than 700 players taking part. There were 46% more women playing in 2026, and 36% of the participants surveyed this year had never played cricket at all before they tried walking cricket.

Why it works. Walking cricket keeps the best bits of the game - batting, bowling, a catch, a bit of friendly rivalry - and takes out the sprinting and the hard ball. It is as much about getting out of the house, meeting people and staying active as it is about the scorebook.

Walking cricket at Cheam. We would like Cheam to be one of those clubs. We are gathering names now for walking cricket in Sutton and Cheam, for men and women of any experience, with free tasters and an open day planned for summer 2027. If you, a parent, a neighbour or a friend from work might enjoy it, register your interest at https://www.cheamcricketclub.com/walking-cricket and tell us which times would suit you - weekday mornings, afternoons, evenings or weekends. The more names we have, the sooner we can set dates.

Good luck to the Surrey Cricket Foundation on 12 November.

Source: Surrey Cricket Foundation, "Surrey Cricket Foundation programme shortlisted for ECB award" (4 November 2026).

Cricket has been played at Peaches Close, Cheam, since 1864.