Hundreds of physically and intellectually challenged children from all over NSW have been practicing their cricket-related skills in an attempt to perform personal bests at the festival.

Dream Cricket was initiated by the Movement Disorder Foundation in 2008 and is now a project of the Rotary Club of Bowral-Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

While played on cricket's hallowed turf of Bradman Oval, Dream Cricket participants will not necessarily play cricket as recognized by those in the "egg and bacon ties" at Lord's.

They will be involved in a number of cricket related activities such as: bowling, throwing, batting, catching, hitting balls of tees and running, according to the degree of their physical and/or intellectual capabilities.

The event has grown to the point where it has involved more than 2,500 primary school students from more than 120 schools in NSW, Qld, Victoria and even two clinics in Chennai in India and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Plans are well advanced to take the program to Western Australia, and organisers are keen to support clubs to establish the program in other states and countries.

To this end a seminar will be conducted at Bradman Oval on October 24 to show potential organisers how to go about arranging Dream Cricket Days and clinics in their own areas.

Former Prime Minister John Howard is the DreamCricket patron and has been a keen participant.

The Bradman Foundation supply equipment for coaching clinics and Dream Cricket Days conducted by the Foundation and Cricket NSW with support by Cricket Australia. Sponsors include: The Movement Disorder Foundation, ClubGrants NSW, Cricket NSW, the Commonwealth Government Volunteer Grants Program and the NSW Departments of Sport and Recreation and Disability Services.

Dream Cricket is a Rotary Program that can be conducted by every Rotary Club. Indeed, the Rotary Clubs of Berrima District and Moss Vale are both key contributors to the success of the program in the Southern Highlands and will be teaming up with their colleagues from Bowral and Mittagong again this year.

Organisers can arrange for a clinic at any local primary school with a special education class at no cost.

For more information contact enquiries@dreamcricket.com.au or visit www.dreamcricket.org.au