An England cricketer paid a visit to his old primary school to inspire young boys and girls to get into the sport.

Middlesex bowler Steven Finn dropped into Cassiobury Junior in Watford to offer some words of wisdom about the game he loves.

He also acted as a makeshift teacher for the day, delivering a cricket-themed numeracy lesson on behalf of the ‘Chance to Shine’ programme.

Finn said: “I had a brilliant day back at my old school, it brought back a lot of fond memories.

“I was a little anxious about actually teaching a lesson but once I got into it, it was great.

“Chance to Shine’s new resources are an amazing way to give teachers the tools they need to teach cricket in the classroom and on the playground.

“I was really pleased to see how the pupils were interested in the cricket and how it captured their imagination.

“Hopefully lessons, like the one I’ve taught today, will be given all across the country and it will inspire young people to not only play but also to learn from cricket.”

The paceman began his class with some active learning in the form of ‘Cricket Conundrums’ before a ‘Captain Co-ordinates’ exercise, which allowed students to locate fielding positions using a grid reference map.

He also took part in an MCC Spirit of Cricket Assembly and led a special coaching session with Year 3 pupils.

The overall aim of the Chance to Shine programme is to get people learning and playing through cricket.

Since 2005, it has reached more than 3.5 million children, 46 per cent of whom are girls, in more than 14,000 state schools across the country.

Ten-year-old James Harris, who took part in the bowler’s lesson, said he was inspired by what he had learnt during the day.

He said: “It’s amazing that he was a pupil at our school and now he’s playing for England.

“Mr Finn was a really great teacher, I’ve been struggling with maths but adding cricket makes it a lot more fun and easier to understand.

“I enjoy playing cricket with my teammates and having fun with them – I’ve learnt lots because of playing the sport.”