Cricket Arena CIC brought Dynamos Cricket to Oasis Academy Don Valley this spring, giving pupils in Years 4–6 eight weeks of free, after-school cricket on their own playground. Supported by Yorkshire Cricket Board and the ECB, the programme ran every Thursday from 27 February to 8 May, 3–4pm on the school’s MUGA. Sessions were open only to Oasis Academy Don Valley pupils and were completely free for families, thanks to a Dynamos bursary. Every child also received a New Balance Dynamos t-shirt to wear during sessions and keep afterwards.

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By keeping everything on-site and straight after lessons, we removed common barriers like transport, membership fees and kit. Pupils simply stayed at school, laced up their trainers and stepped out onto the MUGA for an hour of cricket in the fresh air. For many, it was their first proper experience of cricket outside PE lessons, and something they quickly began to look forward to every week.

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As an ECB national programme, Dynamos Cricket is designed specifically for 8–11-year-olds. Each session followed a simple structure: a high-energy fielding warm-up, a short skill builder focused on batting or bowling, then a countdown-style game where every child batted, bowled and fielded in pairs. Cricket Arena’s ECB-qualified coaches kept activities fast, fun and inclusive so that complete beginners and more confident players could enjoy the same games together.

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Across the eight weeks, we saw real progress. Children who were unsure how to hold a bat at the start were soon scoring runs, calling for singles and helping their teams chase targets. Coaches noticed friendships forming across year groups and a big uplift in confidence, especially among pupils who don’t usually put themselves forward for sport.

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Staff at Oasis Academy Don Valley also felt the difference. Teacher Alice Rushbrook described how much pupils enjoyed having the coaches in every week and how many now choose cricket at break and lunch with their friends. For us at Cricket Arena CIC, that’s the clearest sign that Dynamos is working – it’s changing what children choose to do with their free time and making cricket feel like a game for them.