Yorkshire Tea & ECB Embrace Virtual Reality

Cricket fans could experience what it feels like to face three balls from England fast bowler James Anderson, after details of a collaboration was announced between Yorkshire Tea and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to create virtual reality bowling experience on the Oculus Rift headset.

The ‘A Proper Ball’ experience, developed by BMB London, will be available for spectators attending the Investec Ashes Series this summer, starting at the SSE Swalec in Cardiff this week, based at the England cricket hub.

The Oculus Rift headset will feature 120 seconds of specially created HD footage to take fans to the crease, where they’ll face three balls over 80mph from England’s leading test wicket taker.

This development is part of a wider £3m programme of activity since 2013 by Yorkshire Tea, both as a key sponsor of the national team and a supporter of grassroots cricket.

Tom Blair, brand manager at Yorkshire Tea, said: “To mark our third year as the official brew of the England cricket team, we’ve teamed up with the ECB to provide cricket fans with an unforgettable experience this summer.

“Our mission was to create a user experience that was as near to the real thing as possible – and after trying it out for myself, and seeing the expressions of others who have tested it, I think we’ve achieved that.

“It’s normally only unfortunate opposition batsmen who get to take on James Anderson at his most ferocious, but with this new technology, thousands of spectators will be able to do the same, experiencing just what an 80mph yorker from ‘The Burnley Express’ actually feels like.”

Anderson commented: “This is a really fun bit of technology that gives fans a rare chance to get involved in the action. Looking forward to seeing you in the middle this summer!”

Richard Wilcock at BMB added: “BMB is thrilled to be launching such an immersive digital cricket experience on behalf of Yorkshire Tea. It will help cement and build on the brand’s credentials in the world of first-class cricket and help connect it with new audiences.”