News

While many have packed away their cricket bags for the winter weeks ago, the work still goes on behind the scenes, with Cricket Ireland’s development team working hard to promote and improve the game for players and clubs across the country.
This week the focus is on the Northern Cricket Union, and we take a look a few of the things that are going on in the lead up to Christmas, the time when cricket is often furthest from the thoughts of many.

Women’s and Girls cricket has been growing rapidly in the NCU and that is reflected strongly in the winter programme, with two girls, Charlotte Lyons and Cara Murray already identified as future prospects and will start training as part of the Ireland U17 Girls wider squad programme in late November.

Once again the NCU will be running girls’ regional sessions at the University of Ulster (UUJ) with a squad of 19 players representing eight different clubs selected to be part of the under 17 regional squad attending sessions either side of Christmas.

In a first for the union, there will be a regional women’s squad this winter, with 18 women selected to be part of the sessions which will once again see sessions either side of Christmas held at UUJ as the squad prepare for a full season of club and potentially representative cricket as women’s cricket continues to grow.

The development officers in the North also support clubs with their activities, and there are currently three indoor tournaments happening in the region. Carrickfergus Cricket Club are running an under 11 Kwik Cricket Tournament for four schools on December 2nd while South Down and Mid-Ulster will both have Primary Schools Kwik Cricket Tournament that involve three clubs and their feeder schools.

The clubs involved have been targeting specific schools for a coaching programme that culminates in the Kwik Cricket tournament in a bid to generate interest in the game and increase participation levels at each of the six clubs involved as well as in local primary schools.

This time of years sees a lot of action happening on the administration front and the development office is a big part of that for many clubs, with three clubs working their way through the club accreditation process with the support of Cricket Ireland and all expected to complete their accreditation folders before the year is up.

As well as those undertaking the accreditation process this winter, there are also many more clubs working on their development plans and club structures, with nearly a dozen clubs across the region currently engaged with Cricket Ireland’s development officer to look at club development and building structures to allow for best practice, which includes looking at funding opportunities and education for coaches and volunteers at clubs.

Towards the end of the season Simon Johnston, recently awarded the Oasis Group Coach of the Year Award, was appointed to a role as part of the Active Clubs Programme, helping to drive engagement and participation in the programme, with 24 clubs being involved in the launch of the programme and encouraging progress so far as the scheme looks to increase membership and create training opportunities for clubs and individuals within them.

This is just a taste of the work that goes on behind the scenes to help develop cricket in the region and increase membership and participation in clubs and schools, making the game sustainable and successful in the Northern Cricket Union.

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Connaught