Warwickshire’s Access Team is ready to launch into the 2025 season with renewed purpose and confidence as they compete once again in the ECB Super 9s and, for the second consecutive year, the D40 Quest competition.
The team made their debut in the D40 competition last year, a significant milestone in their journey. Stepping into this higher-level pathway has provided players with the opportunity to develop their cricketing skills in a more competitive and structured environment.
The ECB Super 9s and D40 competitions are national disability cricket leagues designed to support players with different abilities and experience levels.
Super 9s is played with a softball and slightly adapted rules, helps newer or developing players grow their skills in a safe, supportive environment, whilst D40 is a step up, part of the ECB’s Disability Pathway, providing a more performance-based pathway toward the elite level of disability cricket.
Dean Wattison, one of the team’s senior players and now D40 captain, reflected on the responsibility that comes with his role.
“We’ve got a really good group of players that I do think could take on the D40 world. We’ve definitely got something special here.”
“We competed well last year on the whole. We competed well in certain parts of the game but then fell away. This year, I want to really push it.”
With winter training now complete, hopes are high for a successful campaign across both formats.
ECB Super 9s Fixtures
- Home: Sunday 11th May vs Gloucestershire (Moseley CC)
- Away: Sunday 25th May vs Staffordshire (TBC)
- Away: Sunday 8th June vs Derby (TBC)
- Away: Sunday 22nd June vs Gloucestershire (TBC)
- Home: Sunday 6th July vs Staffordshire (Solihull Blossomfield CC)
- Home: Sunday 20th July vs Derby (Moseley CC)
ECB D40 Quest Fixtures
- Home: Sunday 4th May vs Lancashire (Solihull Blossomfield CC)
- Away: Sunday 18th May vs Derby (TBC)
- Home: Sunday 1st June vs Cheshire (TBC)
- Away: Sunday 15th June vs Yorkshire (TBC)
- Away: Sunday 29th June vs Lancashire (TBC)
- Home: Sunday 3rd July vs Derby (Solihull Blossomfield CC)
Speaking ahead of the opening fixture, Warwickshire’s Disability Development Officer, Nigel Perry-Ogden, expressed his pride in the team’s progress.
“This group continues to impress. We’re building an environment where everyone has the opportunity to be involved, feel supported, and enjoy being part of a team.”
The Warwickshire Cricket Foundation continues to demonstrate its commitment to making the game accessible to all.
We encourage everyone who wants to watch to show their support throughout the season by attending fixtures, especially our home matches, which are proudly hosted at our Disability Champion Clubs.