BONUS: Housecast Podcast are Lancashire Crickets Game Changer of the Month - June 2021

A throwback as a bonus episode with video for those who listen on Spotify.

Lancashire Cricket is delighted to announce that the winner of The Energy Check Game Changer of the Month Award for June, is The Housecast Podcast from Lowerhouse Cricket Club

The monthly initiative aims to recognise and reward the outstanding contributions made by individuals working in cricket across Lancashire every month, with a Game Changer of the Year to be named at Lancashire Cricket’s annual End of Season Awards. The Housecast Podcast was developed during the pandemic to try and keep Lowerhouse CC’s members involved with the Club and has gone on to become a standout success within the community. Since its inception, the idea to run a Lowerhouse CC podcast has continued to grow and evolve. The Podcast, which is recorded via Zoom sessions, has amassed almost 30,000 listeners from all parts of the world including Australia, South Africa and India. The Housecast Podcast consists of Adam Hope, Jez Hope, Gary Moorhouse, Matthew Stansfield, Joe Benduce, Joe Martin and the occasional special guest from the world of cricket. Special guests have included Ryan Harris (ex-Australian International and current Fast Bowling Lead for Delhi Capitals), Andrew McDonald (ex-Australian International and current Assistant Coach), and Kirti Azad (Indian Cricket World Cup Winner and current politician). Azad once played for Lowerhouse CC and the very next day became a World Cup Winner at Lord’s in 1983. The Podcast includes lots of old tales like this, as well as the funny side of recreational cricket. On behalf of The Energy Check, Adam and Joe M were presented with a cheque for £150 to purchase something which will assist Lowerhouse CC with the Club’s day-to-day running. The Housecast Podcast team also received a trophy to mark their achievement, from Lancashire Cricket all-rounder Steven Croft, and a complimentary stay at Emirates Old Trafford’s on-site Hilton Garden Inn for a domestic matchday. Upon receiving the Game Changer of the Month Award, Adam Hope said: “The Housecast Podcast is proud to receive this award. It is a great initiative from The Energy Check and Lancashire Cricket - as cricket, more than any other sport I feel, is all about volunteers and the work that they do. “The idea was born as we would always sit together in the bar and talk about old tales and catch up on what has gone on at the Club and we decided that it would be good to put those stories into podcast form. “Unfortunately, we also lost a lot of Lowerhouse CC history such as newspapers clippings and photographs in a house fire, so we wanted to build that back up while keeping our community involved. “We are a community heavy club and when the game was taken away due to COVID we thought this was another way of keeping our people happy, involved and updated on the Club’s business.” The Game Changer recognition programme affirms The Energy Check’s involvement and commitment to recreational and grassroots cricket in the North West, with Lancashire players awarding winners at their clubs. Andrew Brewer, Corporate Partnership Manager for The Energy Check commented: “The Housecast Podcast is a fantastic initiative and due to COVID-19 this initiative, for many I’m sure, has been a way of remaining engaged with the cricket club throughout a period where face to face contact has been limited and in some cases non-existent. "The team of volunteers who run the podcast should be immensely proud of what they have achieved to date and through the support of Game Changer of the Month we hope we can give back to the team to help develop this podcast further.” Lancashire Cricket all-rounder Steven Croft added: “Volunteers are an integral part of club cricket; they are the heartbeat really. Most professional cricketers come from these grassroots, and we would not be able to get to where we are without those people.

Episode Transcript

(00:22):
It was Bonfire Night about two, two years ago.
So yeah. We we're always talking about
tales around the bar and catching up about what's going
on down at the Cricket Club and we decided it'd be good to put
it into a podcast form. Unfortunately we lost a lot of
our history, whether it be newspaper cuttings or photos in
a house fire quite a few years back.

(00:44):
So we wanted to rebuild it back up and wanted to keep the
community involved because we are a community heavy club.
Well if you take the game away because of COVID, we want to
keep them happy and involved. It's a great initiative because
cricket, more than any other sport I feel is all about
volunteers and the work that they do.
We've been able to keep them updated with what's going on at
the club. So I mean that roof cave did

(01:06):
during COVID we decided to refurbish the clubhouse, so
we've been giving constant updates on that.
Whilst we're refurbing the the clubhouse, we found that the
roof needed replacing. So all these little bits that
they can't necessarily see 'cause they can't come down,
we've been able to keep them informed so it's not a bit alien
when they come back down and Covid's over.
From my point of view, coming through club cricket, volunteers

(01:27):
are integral part of of club cricket.
They make they make the club work really.
So many volunteers go into making a club run from scorers
to to the tea ladies from from everything really and and most
professional cricketers come from these grassroots.
With the lockdown happening, it was quite good.
Just set up a zoom and then you could just record it and then

(01:48):
get it out to everybody. We have Ryan Harris and some of
the Australian team and that featured on it, which is just
bizarre in itself. Kurti Azad, who used to be our
professional, one of the storiesin the podcast, he played for us
on the Saturday and won the World Cup on the Sunday.
Those stories are just bonkers and you've got to talk about
them. It's great to see some local

(02:09):
clubs now with some people around and it's great from clubs
from that community aspect as well.
Not just sporting but for people's mental health as well,
getting that community feel, whether it's in the clubhouse or
if you get a rest, sunny day to get outside in England and watch
some good cricket as well. I think we're just going to give
it to the to the club and they can they'll find something for

(02:31):
it, whether it's updating some of the slightly older features
or. There has been a whisper that
over lockdown we've put down a new patio next to the steps of
maybe some planters or somethinglike that, just to make it look
a bit NASA, a bit more presentable.
Yeah, it's, it's a great initiative for me, Energy Check
and I think volunteers, they make club cricket go around
really. And like I said, unsung heroes

(02:52):
at local cricket clubs can't. Can't thank them highly enough
really, for what they do.