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'State school upbringing toughened me up' - now Michael Vaughan wants to help kids play at Lord's'

So far, more than 1,100 teams have signed up to take part in the first year of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, which will conclude with finals at the home of cricket

[Former England captain Michael Vaughan at Lord's]

Former England captain Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan credits his state school upbringing with boosting his problem-solving skills and he now has his sights set on putting them into action.

The former England captain, who attended Silverdale School in Sheffield, is the brainchild behind the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, a competition which will see non-fee-paying schools across the UK compete to feature in a showpiece final at Lords.

Ten of the 16-man England squad who travelled on the recent Ashes tour were privately educated and though Vaughan hailed the contribution of independent schools to the sport, he wants to boost opportunities for state school children to pick up a bat and ball.

The independent sector deliver a huge amount as they are upskilling our players from an early age with great facilities and coaches, and we shouldnt overlook the great job they do, he said.

But there are a few (players) that go through the state sector and it can toughen you. I know from my upbringing, I got on the bus every morning, going through some difficult times, you have to work your way through some difficult situations and thats life.

That is what cricket is all about, you have to problem solve. If you get given everything and its all easy, you dont become a great problem solver, and thats the art of life.

[Michael Vaughan at the launch of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup]

Michael Vaughan at the launch of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup

So far, more than 1,100 teams have signed up to take part in the competitions first year, which will feature under-15 tournaments for both boys and girls.

Ben Stokes and Heather Knight, who like Vaughan are state school-educated cricketers who have gone on to captain their country, lend their names to the trophy, while Barclays and The Black Heart Foundation are among those to be offering financial support.

Andrew Flintoff, a teammate of Vaughans when England won the Ashes in 2005, has also helped provide children with opportunities in cricket through his hit BBC show Field of Dreams and this competition has been established with the aim of having a nationwide impact.

We are very good at talking cricket down but we forget how big a game it is in the UK and how many people love it, Vaughan said.

We are going to give kids an opportunity they have never had before and it is great to see those numbers. There are loads of stats around if you can get kids playing a sport before the age of x, there is a chance they will be fans forever. We might produce the odd England cricketer, you never know, but its more about producing cricket fans and giving kids an opportunity.

[Former England women's skipper Heather Knight's name is on the trophy]

Former England women's skipper Heather Knight's name is on the trophy

The pinnacle is Lords. All of the schools entering, its because of that dream and aspiration to play at Lords. The history the place provides is something very special and I can only imagine what the state sector will get from this tournament. For those lucky four teams who get to play there in September, that will be written in the walls of their school forever.

Its so important for young people that they have aspirational thoughts and this will give kids the chance to have those dreams of playing cricket here.

Thousands of teams sign up for the chance to play at Lords as stars encourage greater access to cricket in state schools. Find out more: https://www.lords.org/mcc/barclays-knight-stokes-cup

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