Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist says WA cricket has become an inspiration as he helped out at a come-and-try day for children with autism.

Hundreds of youngsters flooded the WACA with enthusiasm on Saturday as WA Cricket united with Autism WA to give more than 200 kids the opportunity to enjoy a day out at the iconic ground.

In the sixth year of the annual event, numbers have grown from under 100 to more than 200, and Ambassador Gilchrist emphasised the importance of the day.

“It’s just so important to let families with children with autism know there is a community within the broader cricket family that is welcoming and has skills to help support them with their needs to make them feel accepted into a club situation,” he said.

“It’s not just about the kids playing the game and having fun. It’s also about a nice environment and it being safe for the parents and siblings to come along and just be a part of the club that so many of us take for granted.

“To know I can still come along and still be part of the broader cricket family and hopefully make an impact on other people’s lives is a feeling experience; you get more out of it than you put into it.”

WA players Sam Greer and Charlie Stobo were on hand to help run the specialist activities, and Gilchrist said these initiatives and the player’s involvement were just one of the ways the current crop is inspiring their communities.

“To listen to any of (WA’s) young men and women speak, and the way they present and what they talk about is inspirational, and it is so much a part of the fabric of West Australian cricket,” he said.