More and more youngsters getting hooked on a whole new ball game as Leeds & Broomfield CC’s Calypso cricket classes continue to thrive

Cricket from the beaches of the Caribbean has taken off in Maidstone and beyond in a big way.

Calypso cricket - where the focus is on fun, flair and expression - is appealing to youngsters like never before.

The principles of the game - fast-paced, flamboyant shots, hard-hitting and skilful bowling variations - have become commonplace in modern cricket, particularly T20.

Leeds & Broomfield CC launched Calypso classes in 2020. They took off to such an extent that they now run sessions for other clubs under the Calypso Cricket Coaching banner, and have 12 camps lined up this summer.

Dan Creasey, the man behind it, was working at a cricket school in Sydney when he came up with the idea.

“I was watching TV one day and thinking about how to improve cricket coaching,” said Creasey.

“It was the Under-19 World Cup and there was a player called Shimron Hetmyer who started hitting the ball to all parts of the stadium, and the commentator said it looks like it’s Calypso cricket time. That’s when the penny dropped.

“It was a period when T20 was gaining momentum and it built from there.”

Creasey spent three years in Australia followed by a couple of months coaching in Sri Lanka before returning to the UK. Calypso cricket was soon on its way to Leeds & Broomfield.

“We saw a space where we could provide something in Maidstone, Medway and the Swale areas,” said Creasey.

“I was looking through some photos the other day and the first-ever camp there was me, George Davis and Ed Scrivens (fellow Leeds players) and we didn’t have any kit. But we had 20 kids and they loved it, and it was can we do more and more and more?

“Other clubs were then asking us to run coaching for them and we’ve taken over the performance side of it as well, so we