England and Wales Cricket Board’s cricket competition, The Hundred, has created a virtual stadium in sandbox video game 'Minecraft' in a bid to get young people inspired by the sporting event.
A group of 10 children teamed up with The Hundred to create the stadium, which has arrived on 'Minecraft' a month ahead of the big kick-off on August 3.
The young Minecraft players were invited to take part in The Hundred's 'Every Block Counts' competition, which tasked them with drawing, painting, sketching or building their dream ultimate cricket stadium experience.
A description read: "Built in Minecraft space, the world features a see-through wicket with changing rooms views, a rollercoaster, a rainbow arch, a sea creature moat flowing around the pitch's boundary and a rooftop nature garden. This is the first ever sports stadium built in the world-famous gaming platform through a kids competition. "
The judging panel included Birmingham Phoenix women's team superstar and gaming aficionado, Issy Wong, and 'Minecraft' wiz and Founder of BlockWorks, James Delaney.
Wong said: "It's been fantastic to see the levels of creativity from this competition. We've seen submissions beyond our wildest expectations and the final build truly is a blockbuster cricket stadium. It's been incredible to be part of this initiative; another first for The Hundred as it continues to push the limits in sport and entertainment."
To download and explore the stadium, and see how it was brought to life, visit www.thehundred.com/every-block-counts.
Ticket holders can expect sensational live music performances, nail-biting games and even more to explore off the pitch. Men's and women's games kick off on the 3 and 11 August, respectively, with the final on 3 September 2022.
