The NCU are delighted to unveil a packed programme of matches across all our age grades over the next month. This comes on the back of 3 weeks of training at Campbell College with over 150 boys and girls from age 13 and upwards involved with over 150 hours of coaching delivered.

The NCU have worked closely with Cricket Leinster, North West Cricket Union and NCU clubs as hosts during and post lockdown and will play in no less than 32 games over the next 4 weeks.

The programme starts this week with NCU Women playing Cricket Leinster U17 Girls at Laurelvale Cricket Club on Thursday 30th July.

The team is as follows:
Amy Benson (North Down)
Amy Caulfield (Muckamore)
Jennifer Hanna (Waringstown)
Abbi Leckey (CSNI)
Charlotte Lyons (Waringstown)
Mollie Mathers (Waringstown)
Staci Maxwell (North Down)
Natasha Morton (North Down)
Cara Murray (Waringstown)
Emma McMurray (Lurgan)
Ellen Sterritt (Instonians)
Sam Todd (Lurgan)

On Friday, it's the turn of the U19 Girls who make the trip to Coleraine to play North West U19 Girls, also with a 1.30pm start, both games are T20 format.

U19 Girls:
Jennifer Hanna (Waringstown)
Sophie Hinds (Lurgan)
Rachel Douglas (Muckamore)
Emily Mathers (Waringstown)
Mollie Mathers (Waringstown)
Cara Murray (Waringstown)
Emma McMurray (Lurgan)
Lucy McMahon-Beattie (Carrickfergus)
Sophie Orr (Lurgan)
Ellen Sterritt (Instonians)
Sam Todd (Lurgan)
Freya Watson (Instonians)

Next week it's the turn of the U13 Boys who have a four-match series against Cricket Leinster, followed by U17 Boys who have a six-match series, two against North west and four against Leinster.

U13 Boys:
Luka Bates (CSNI)
Ollie Dyer CSNI)
Mark Hanna (Donacloney Mill)
Adam Heasley (CIYMS)
Daniel Henry (Instonians)
Michael Hollway (Instonians)
Charlie Kirk (CSNI)
Adam Leckey (CSNI)
Alastair Watt (Cregagh)
James West (CSNI)
Max Willmott (Instonians)
Seb Yeates (CSNI)

The U11 Boys will also have four matches against Leinster and the U15s will have a similar programme to the U17 Boys.

U11 Boys:
David Agnew (Instonians)
Marko Bates(CSNI) (wk)
Henry Brand (CIYMS)
Luke Crothers (Instonians)
Frank Hollway (Instonians)
Zayyan Malik (Waringstown)
Jack Morrow (Templepatrick) (wk)
Robbie McCollam (Waringstown)
Alex McMeekin (Waringstown)
Josh McMillan (Bangor)
Hugo Robinson (Instonians)
Jack Smyth(Templepatrick) (C)
Ben Walsh (Instonians)

The Boys U15 & U17 squads are currently being selected and will be circulated once this process is complete.

The U19 Girls will also have 2 matches against Leinster and for the first time, the U13 Girls and U15 Girls will have competitive fixtures against Leinster and North West.

The NCU women will finish off the summer programme hosting Jersey Women in a three-match series. They were due to tour Jersey earlier this month but this trip was cancelled and this has come as welcome replacement.

Commenting on the extensive programme, Allan Rutherford, NCU Director of Representative Cricket said "Given the current climate and restrictions in place, the NCU Operations team and Lead coaches have put together an extensive programme for all our boys and girls squad to ensure that they get competitive match experience. During lockdown all our tours were cancelled, we see these as fundamental in the development of our squads. This meant that we had to put in place matches for our squads in a condensed period over the first 3 weeks in August prior to the players returning to school."

Uel Graham
NCU Cricket Operations and Administration Manager