Blind cricket has been played in Australia for seventy years with the first recorded national championships during the 1920s.

The game faded out in the late 1930s due to World War 2 and was not played nationally again until 1952.

The 1st National Blind Cricket Championships were played in 1952 and have been played every two years since with the 25th National Blind Cricket Championship to be held in Adelaide from December 28 1999 to January 11 2000.

The Present

At present four states take part, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Victoria has won the shield fourteen times, New South Wales seven times and Queensland three times, with South Australia yet to win one.

The Team

A blind cricket team is made up of three eyesight categories. B1 no visions at all up to seeing a hand at six inches. B2 seeing a hand at six inches up to visual acuity of 2/60. B3 visual acuity of 3/60 up to visual acuity of 6/60. A measurement of vision over sixty is what a fully sighted person can see at sixty metres a legally blind person can see at their measurement over sixty. E.g. 2/60 a legally blind person can see at two metres what a fully sighted person can see at sixty.

In South Australia

South Australia have been involved in national blind cricket since 1970 and since that time have played some memorable matches however not securing the shield as yet.

South Australia plays a series of social teams each year from Lions Clubs, Apex and Rotary Clubs, local cricket teams or anyone who mounts a challenge. The season runs from October to March and games are played every Sunday at Blacks Road Gilles Plains.

The short-term goals of the club are to build the player base up to a level where two teams can play regular matches. To gain more blind cricket exposure by travelling interstate or inviting other blind cricket teams to Adelaide.

International Competition

Up until recently there has been very little international competition a couple of series against New Zealand and a trip to Sri Lanka in the 1970s was about all there was.

However in 1996 the Indian blind Cricket Council made contact with several other countries known to play blind cricket and invited them to attend a conference in India in November of that year.

The World Blind Cricket Council was formed and the date for the first World Cup of Blind Cricket was set for November 1998.

This event has now been played and two South Australians were selected to play for Australia and a long time club member Malcolm Longford was selected as Australian Team Manager.

Australia came fourth overall with South Africa winning, Pakistan coming second and India third.

There will now be regular competition held internationally.