Playing cricket can improve pupils' grades, say parents

Competitive sports improve pupils' discipline, motivation and

confidence, parents told a Cricket Foundation study.

They also think cricket is no longer for the elite, and is attracting more players from different ethnic backgrounds.

Two thirds of parents (66 per cent) believe that team sports like cricket can help a child's academic results, the poll found – a figure that rises to more than seven in 10 (72 per cent) amongst fathers.

Over a third (35 per cent) said such sports boost confidence, a quarter (25 per cent) said they provide discipline, a fifth (20 per cent) said they increase motivation and around one in ten (11 per cent) said they improve concentration.

The study, based on a survey of almost 1,000 parents of pupils aged eight to 17 at state schools, also asked about the people who play cricket.

More than four in 10 (42 per cent) said they thought the sport was "less elitist".

But the study also suggests that cricket is on offer at fewer schools now.