The path is clear as Women's Cricket continues to grow
David Morton NCU PRO
In 2013 there were only four clubs that offered Girls and Women's Cricket (teams) within the NCU, however through the increased awareness and development work being carried out by Nigel Jones, Cricket Ireland’s Regional Development Officer in the NCU that number has now doubled to eight - as a direct result of this increase the NCU Women’s Premier League has been given the much needed push that was required in terms of player, club and union engagement, so as to establish it as an official NCU competition. The 2014 season saw six of the eight club teams enter into the newly established league, these teams included; Armagh, CSNI, Lurgan, North Down, Templepatrick and Waringstown. The remaining two clubs CIYMS and Muckamore both decided to opt out of competition in 2014 due to wanting to build their respective player base and general development needs before taking the leap. However, both clubs managed to arrange a number of friendly fixtures throughout the season, this bodes well for their inclusion in the 2015 Premier League Title race.
Like all teams and clubs involved in the 2014 competition, both Lurgan and North Down should be commended for their commitment and skill levels throughout the year. On reflection of the 2014 season, 2015 already promises to be another exciting step forward in the development of the NCU Women’s Premier League with whispers starting to circulate of additional clubs wanting to offer Girls and Women’s Cricket as part of their membership in 2015. The continued growth of the Girls and Women's game over the past two years can be largely attributed to Cricket Ireland's Regional Development Officer, Nigel Jones, whose determination and tireless work in delivering this key strategy within Cricket Ireland’s Strategic Plan. His development work has led to plans to introduce a Women's Cricket Committee in the NCU and this has been identified by Nigel as a crucial development if the game is to move forward and remain sustainable. This committee will act as a working group to further underpin and support the player pathway environments which have been established over the past 2-3 years as well as to plan and further develop playing opportunities from participation right the way through to performance levels. The current player pathway within the NCU for Girls and Women’s Cricket includes; Girls Kwik Cricket, Schools U13 Super 8’s, NCU U17 RDS Squad and the NCU Women’s Premier League.
The next step on the players pathway within the NCU is Schools U13 Super 8’s Cricket, this is an exciting new format of the game which has been designed to encourage participation but equally increase player development through its integration of Cricket Equipment and the ‘type’ of playing ball which is uses. Super 8’s like Girls Kwik Cricket has been established since 2013, however this year (2014) saw the competition and format really come to life with the expansion of participating schools increase from 6 to 11. Due to its successes as a format through player engagement and the ease of playing interpretation, there are plans now to expand the Super 8’s competition to a ‘Club’ League where those that are already engaged and playing in the Schools format can also move sideways on the pathway to a club environment where increased playing and development opportunities are provided. The benefits of such a club competition will not only increase club membership but equally provide another development step which in turn will further underpin the Women’s game which it so desperately needs.
With all these newly formed and now established competitions in the NCU, 2015 promises to be another exciting year of opportunity for Girls and Women's Cricket throughout the region. Cricket Ireland’s Regional Development Officer, Nigel Jones will undoubtedly once again play a major role in continuing to strive to strengthen the current player pathway which will help to ensure the continued growth and development of the Women’s game. Although the speed and desire to grow the Women's game within the NCU will ultimately depend on the continued and improved engagement from primary and secondary schools, clubs and the NCU itself. Talking about Women's cricket in 2014 and the opportunities that 2015 may present, Nigel said: “2015 will hopefully prove to be another exciting year for women's cricket here in the NCU. Now that a clear player pathway has been established, girls can start to develop their skills from a much earlier age within a pathway that not only encourages participation but development too. I’m excited about the expansion of current competitions and the opportunity to develop more, however I realise that it is vital that whatever is put in place has the foundations and support to ensure its sustainability. This may be my biggest challenge for 2015… however it’s not one I’ll be shying away from!” For further information on any of the Girl’s or Women’s competitions, please contact Cricket Ireland’s Regional Development Officer, Nigel Jones on either - email: nigel.jones@cricketireland.ie or telephone: 075 8540 0121. |
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