17 Jun Bowled Over by Numbers: Children vs. care home residents cricket match
Children across Essex took on care home residents in an intergenerational game of cricket. The group was also the very first to see the original Venn bowling machine in action, which has been brought back to life by the University of Cambridge.
Cricket4Numbers brought together primary-aged children from three schools in Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree at Essex County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford. Together with Essex care home residents, the took part in several cricket games, such as clock and table cricket, which also introduced key maths concepts. Also in attendance were the leaders of the Colchester based Venn Maths Hub, who are working with the Essex Year of Numbers to help schools foster a love of all things mathematical across Essex.
After the hard-fought multi-generational contests, the children and residents were among the very first people able to witness the reconstructed Cambridge Venn bowling machine after its first official testing on Friday 7th June.
Using patent illustrations and a single black-and-white photograph discovered online, the Cambridge University team brought the 7ft contraption to life using materials that would have been available when Dr John Venn, mathematician, philosopher and Anglican priest, most famous for inventing Venn diagrams, created it in the early 1900s.
Although a serious mathematician and philosopher, Venn enjoyed building unusual machines in his spare time. This included creating the first bowling machine for cricket which propels the cricket ball using a spring-powered throwing arm. What makes the design so unique is the ingenious method for putting spin on the ball. As the arm moves, it pulls a string that turns a spindle and a bobbin, which then spins the ball holder and the ball.
The original machine was tested on the Australian cricket team in Cambridge in 1909 and was so effective that it bowled out one of their star batsmen four times.
Hugh Hunt, Professor of Engineering Dynamics and Vibration at Cambridge, who set the University Engineering department the challenge of recreating the machine, said: “Most people learn about Venn Diagrams at school, but not many know about John Venn’s quirky side – that he invented a bowling machine using wood and string and maths, which bowled out members of the Australian Cricket team more than a hundred years ago. It’s a great story, and an ingenious device, and at the time would have been in a lot of newspapers, but now it’s not really remembered outside the cricket world. So the idea behind the project was to recreate a bit of history, and to show how much fun you can have with maths.”
Patrick Ward, Head of Community Engagement, Essex County Cricket Club, said “We were really honoured to host the event at our cricket club, and to be able to get people of all generations involved in a sport that we all love. Being part of history in the unveiling of the Venn machine that has been reconstructed by Cambridge University has been a special moment for the club.”
The Cricket4Numbers event was funded by Essex Year of Numbers, a year-long initiative developed by Essex County Council to encourage children and young people to feel comfortable with mathematics. Throughout the year, the Essex Year of Numbers programme has created events linked with music, baking and sports to show just how much maths is intrinsically related with everyday life.
Roy Blatchford, Chair of the Essex Education Task Force, said: “Cricket4Numbers was an amazing event that brought together schoolchildren and care home residents across Essex to play, learn and discover the innovative spirit of Dr. John Venn.
“At Essex County Council, we understand the importance of fostering a love for mathematics among young people. Essex Year of Numbers shows that maths is not just a subject to be studied in the classroom but a tool that can spark joy and introduce an array of interesting concepts and careers for young people.”
