The Man Behind ‘Can You Cricket’ Discusses Village Cricket Boom
Over the last decade, there has been a continuing growing interest into the on-goings of amateur sport. Whether it be sunday league football teams, or 20 handicap golfers. This genre of content has risen to notoriety and captured the imagination of a widespread audience.
The same can be said in cricket, as the village game is gaining traction on all social media platforms. Fans are becoming invested in what goes on behind the scenes and the use of GoPro footage gives them an opportunity to see things through the lens of the players.
One of the pioneers in this niche is Gareth Grant, the man behind ‘Can You Cricket.’ Gareth moved to the UK from his homeland of South Africa and quickly got himself involved in village cricket, having fallen out of the game years prior.
He came up with the idea to play with a GoPro on his helmet after coming across footage of the very same thing being done from people in India. However, he had no intention of achieving the success that he has managed.
“I thought it would be quite a cool idea. Not for anything else but a bit of fun and to show my family and children,” the teacher turned batter told the Sports Gazette.
What started off as an enjoyable thing to do in his spare time turned into a full-time job. As of now, the Can You Cricket YouTube channel has amassed over 120,000 subscribers. It’s at the forefront of the scene alongside ourCRICKET and That’s So Village.
You would expect that a core part of the channel’s audience are some of the most passionate cricket fans. However, Gareth revealed that his content has also caught the eye of a very specific group of people.
“What I have found is that a lot of people who did play cricket and stopped have now got back into cricket.
“People who have fallen out of love with the game have gotten back into it and has said ‘your channel has helped me get back into the game.’”
Much of the South African’s content sees him document the journey of Woodhall Spa, his local village cricket team. Gareth believes that his teammates are just as important as he is in his videos. He explained that “A lot of the comments I get is that people feel like they are batting with me. That shared experience on going on a journey really adds a lot. It’s like watching a movie and having a character that you’re rooting for.
“The other aspect is I try and showcase the camaraderie with your teammates and the community that you can build.
“In this day and age where a lot of people are feeling isolated and lonely, whenever you can get people together and have a common purpose, it’s really powerful.”
The interest in village cricket online has come at a much-needed time. Pre-Covid, the Telegraph reported that the number of people playing cricket had fallen by a third since 2008.
Yet, as interest in channels like Can You Cricket grows, an influx of new and younger talent are getting involved. Interestingly though, they are entering the sport with a different mentality.
The investment in T20 cricket over the last decade has seen it gain popularity among modern audiences. The rest of cricket has had to adapt, most notable in England’s recent test match revolution. The affectionately named ‘Bazball’ has taken the aggressive nature of shorter form cricket and shown it can be both effective and entertaining over a five-day battle.
As such, people taking their first forays into the sport are openly taking more risks with their own style.
“When would you see youngster’s playing reverse sweeps?” Grant jokingly quipped when discussing the ever-changing nature of the game.
It’s not just the younger players who are being influenced, however. Gareth himself admitted that he has attempted to adopt a more aggressive approach to his game too.
It feels as though we are in a golden period of cricket. A new age which many, including Gareth, feel is here to stay. The influence of more exciting players and the growing interest in social media content may be the key to unlocking a new generation of fans, that can help shape the future of cricket for years to come.
