Howzat! First Beeping Cricket Balls Headed for Production Thanks to Local Grant
After years of dedication, development and dreaming, Blind Bats is proud to announce that the first batch of 400 beeping cricket balls is about to be manufactured, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Pine Rivers Community Finance through Community Bank Samford.
The grant has enabled us to take our prototype into full-scale production, significantly reducing the cost of each ball. That means more teams across Australia can now access the technology and play beep cricket, a game built on inclusion, teamwork, and the joy of sport.
Beep cricket is at the heart of what we do at Blind Bats. Our players include people with low or no vision, autism, and other disabilities, as well as volunteers without disabilities. With eight teams already running in Moreton Bay and new teams forming in Samford and Pine Rivers, the demand for our program continues to grow.
At the centre of it all is our founder, Paul Szep. Paul has poured 30 years into this project, and despite now living with just 1% of his vision, he hasn’t let that stop him. Alongside his wife Olga, who has been instrumental every step of the way, Paul’s drive and determination have brought us to this exciting milestone.
These new balls, designed to emit a continuous beep, make cricket truly accessible. They’re more than just equipment; they’re tools for confidence, connection, and community.
