Australia’s T20 women team plays School for the Deaf and Blind

Members of the Australian women’s squad took time out from their preparations for Friday’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 semi-final against West Indies to spend time in a Colombo school.

Players visited the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind in an event jointly organised with the Australian High Commission in Colombo.

Captain Jodie Fields, Alex Blackwell, Lauren Ebsary, Jess Cameron, Nicola Carey, Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, Alyssa Healy and Julie Hunter spent Wednesday (3) afternoon conducting a coaching clinic for the children as well as playing a friendly match.

Around 300 children attended the event in what the Australian players saw as a welcome diversion ahead of their last four encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Australia skipper Jodie Fields said, “Cricket is such a huge part of life here in Sri Lanka and to be able to share some of our skills and stories with these kids is just fantastic.  “We had a go at batting without being able to see and there is a definite skill to it, a few of the girls were clean bowled by some of the kids out there, it was very impressive.

 “This school is a great example of the fact that cricket shows no boundaries and anyone can get out and play and enjoy the game we all love,” Fields concluded.

Australian High Commissioner Robyn Mudie added, “Among the many links Australia and Sri Lanka share, cricket is one of the highlights. Australia strongly supports the involvement of women and girls in sport as a way of promoting equality and empowerment. So it’s great to see our team get together with another inspiring group – the children from the School for the Deaf and Blind.”

The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind provides education, vocational training, food and lodging, healthcare, and recreational facilities for around700 children. A registered charity, it provides these services free of charge. Established 100 years ago, it was the first school of its kind in Sri Lanka.