Cricket Australia is proud to announce All Ability Sports Coaching (AASC) in partnership with Warners Bay Cricket Club (New South Wales) as the winner of the 2025–26 Inclusion & Diversity Initiative of the Year Award, recognising a truly outstanding program that has redefined what inclusive, meaningful community cricket can look like.
Award Winners: All Ability Sports Coaching & Warners Bay Cricket Club (NSW)
All Ability Sports Coaching delivers specialised, game‑sense cricket programs designed to ensure people living with disability can experience genuine success, enjoyment and belonging through sport. Across each season, 20 to 40 participants aged from 4 to 74 years take part, with players primarily living with intellectual disability and others with physical, sensory and mental health support needs. Family members, support workers and mainstream players also participate alongside them, creating a truly shared cricket experience.
Central to the initiative’s success is its partnership with Warners Bay Cricket Club, which provides facilities, shared community days and clear pathways into mainstream cricket. This alignment has strengthened club culture and demonstrated how community clubs can integrate all‑ability cricket in a practical and sustainable way.
AASC’s approach is underpinned by its innovative Personal Best (PB) Target Cricket model, built on fairness, autonomy and earned achievement. Every player receives:
- The same number of deliveries and scoring opportunities
- Personalised performance targets based on their own weekly improvement
- Adapted fields, pitches and scoring to support players of all abilities, including powerchair users
This model removes traditional barriers such as complex rules, heavy protective equipment and the fear of error, replacing them with fast‑paced, enjoyable gameplay that emphasises learning through play.
Inclusivity extends well beyond regular sessions. Through the Baggy Blues outreach program, AASC connects with regional communities across Young, Parkes, Goulburn, Dubbo, South West Rocks and beyond, sharing inclusive cricket practices and supporting local communities to adopt all‑ability models. These experiences have not only increased participation opportunities in regional NSW, but have also built long‑term understanding and confidence in inclusive sport delivery.
The impact of the initiative has been profound. Participants have experienced:
- Increased confidence and skill development
- A strong sense of community belonging
- Opportunities to earn representative honours at appropriate levels
For the wider community, AASC has expanded the cricket ecosystem, strengthened inclusion values and modelled what meaningful, sustainable inclusion looks like in practice. Long‑term support from partners such as the Hunter Taverners has further helped break down financial barriers and extend the initiative’s reach across New South Wales.
Highly Commended: Blind Cricket SA (South Australia)
The judging panel also extends high commendation to Blind Cricket SA for its outstanding work in supporting people who are blind or vision‑impaired to access cricket in a safe, inclusive and empowering way. The nomination recognises Blind Cricket SA’s continued leadership in expanding opportunities, raising awareness and strengthening pathways within the South Australian cricket community.
Cricket Australia congratulates All Ability Sports Coaching and Warners Bay Cricket Club on their well‑deserved national recognition, and thanks Blind Cricket SA and all nominees for their commitment to making cricket a game for everyone, regardless of age, background or ability.