Leicestershire and England Under 19's star, Shiv Thakor, swapped his cricket whites for school jumpers as he went back to school last month (7 February) to celebrate the 100th visit of the Leicester-Shire Rutland Sport (LRS) Legacy Roadshow Programme.

Shiv visited Evington Valley Primary School, the first school he attended as a child and where he became inspired to play cricket. He talked to the pupils about his cricketing story, answered their questions and took part in a cricket coaching session.

The roadshow was delivered in partnership with Chance to Shine. As part of the programme, County Cricket Boards connect club or community coaches to local schools. Last year Leicestershire Cricket Board delivered cricket coaching sessions in just over 3,500 primary schools, with three-quarters of the 50,000 coaching hours carried out during curriculum time. Local coaches also develop the knowledge and skills of teachers through regular contact during sessions, in addition to delivering fun and engaging cricket coaching to the pupils.

Talking about the day, Shiv said, "I remember sitting in assembly one day when some players from the County Cricket Club came into to talk to us and it really inspired me to play more cricket and work really hard at my game, it would be fantastic I could inspire just one of the pupils at Evington to go and do the same."

Shiv Thakor became the first Leicestershire-born player to make a century on first-class debut for the club when he scored 134 against Loughborough MCCU in 2011. Last season, he captained the England U19 team before a finger injury cut his tour to South Africa short.

Ernie White, Leicestershire County Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Sport, said, "The power of using elite athletes to inspire the next generation is fantastic. It's great that we have managed to get such a diverse range of athletes to go into schools and communities and tell their stories. It gives young people the chance to see that they are just ordinary people that have gone on to achieve extraordinary things through dedication, commitment and hard work."

The Leicester-Shire Rutland Legacy Roadshow is a series of elite athlete visits to schools, clubs and community settings throughout Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. The Roadshow will engage Olympic and Paralympic athletes and also those from different sports, to inspire young people to take part in more sport and physical activity. The programme will also work with smaller groups within schools around more targeted workshops.