Central Los Angeles : THE SPORTING LIFE

A team of cricket-playing homeless men who live in Downtown’s Dome Village are taking their newfound skills to England, the birthplace of the 200-year-old sport.

Activist Ted Hayes, who plays cricket with a group of expatriate Brits, hopes that the team will call attention to the plight of the homeless in Los Angeles.

The quirky idea has captured the imagination of the British press. The Daily Telegraph published a story with pictures of the practicing homeless team this week, and the BBC is producing a story for broadcast.

“It looks like we put our finger on a tool to bring some positive attention to the homeless and the people that are trying to work with the homeless,” said Hayes, who founded the Los Angeles village where the formerly homeless live in portable domes.

The team heads for England in late September, where it is scheduled to play against a team in Hambledon, a village famous for its cricket team.

The team’s first game is scheduled against a team of retired British expatriates Sept. 8 in Burbank.