Carnforth boy designs blockbuster cricket world

Ben Sellwood was among the winners who had their design ideas brought to virtual life in a super-stadium on Minecraft - the first ever sporting stadium brought to life in the popular gaming system through a kids competition.

The virtual world has been launched to celebrate the one month countdown to this year's blockbuster summer sporting and entertainment event, The Hundred, which kicks off on August 3.

Parents and kids can now download the stadium world to explore and interact with at www.thehundred.com/every-block-counts

The Hundred, cricket’s revolutionary competition which fuses blockbuster entertainment with world-class cricket, has unveiled the immersive stadium build, and Minecraft fans can now see Ben’s epic design featuring an eco-friendly rooftop filled with trees, plants and animals included in the final build for kids across the world to explore.

To get inspiration to design this stadium, Minecraft-loving kids across the country were invited to take part in The Hundred’s ‘Every Block Counts’ competition, tasked with drawing, painting, sketching or building their ultimate cricket stadium experience, with no limits on what it could contain.

The aspiring young Minecrafters’ entries were imaginative, and the winning designs included 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.

The shortlisted winners impressed a judging panel made up of Birmingham Phoenix women’s team superstar and gaming aficionado Issy Wong, Minecraft wiz and founder of BlockWorks James Delaney, and Jonathon Webb, senior brand manager at The Hundred.

Commenting on the launch of the world, Issy 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 keep updated with all the latest news on The Hundred, you can visit www.thehundred.com.