Women and Girls Cricket

In 2010, the Yorkshire Women and Girls Sub-committee was founded to restructure and streamline the various groups involved with developing the game previously. The subcommittee oversees all W&G Cricket from County Age Group to grassroots and reports to the Yorkshire Cricket Board on progression in all areas (as before with YWCA and County CDG).

From this group 4 task forces were identified, to concentrate on the development of areas of the game identified as key to sustain & grow:

• Participation & Club Development
• District Development
• Coach Education
• EPP Pathways and County   

Results

Regional Achievements

• 9 Female Affiliated Clubs in Yorkshire
• 34 Female Senior teams (including non-affiliated)
• 31 Female Junior Club teams (U13-U15). 7 emerging.
• 37 Female Umpires
• 70 Female Coaches
• 12 District Squads
• 5 County Age Group Teams (including development squad and senior county squad)
• North East South and West have their own Bronze Development Centres
• Each district plays each other at U11s, U13s and U15s
• Two 2-day sessions have been organised where England players provided coaching for girls
• England fast bowler Katherine Brunt employed through C2S, coaching & supporting initiatives in both West & South Yorkshire in both schools and clubs
• Development Groups across the county are seeing an increase in numbers and achievements in each age group
• 23 Asda and Drax festivals took place in 2010 including 169 schools (up 28 on 2009)  and 1690 participants (up 300 on 2009) 
• In the mixed ASDA Yr5 & Drax, 1000 girls took part
• Inter Cricket (U13s & 15s) - 91 schools/30 festivals (same as 2009)
• 3 teams entered the Lady Taverners Club U15s Competition and 5 entered the U13s (increase on 2009). The U15s was won by Rufforth CC, U13s by Sheffield Transport CC and both went onto Regional Finals. Katherine Brunt supported by umpiring the 3 matches.
• There are 7 emerging Junior club teams, all have regular nets, all have played friendlies and festivals and all are attached to clubs

• Senior X1 finished third in Division 1 and are finalists in the Twenty20 competition

• All the county age group teams (U17s, U15s and U13s) have had great success this year winning their groups by good margins

 Local Club Achievements

• Lightcliffe CC used ex-Yorkshire player, Chris Taylor to promote & coach a new Women’s team –18 currently regularly attending 
• Blackley CC and Rastrick CC are developing Women’s teams & played friendlies last season
• Paddock CC are running regular sessions
• Keighley CC have employed 2 community sports assistants to work specifically on developing W &G teams
• Amalgamation of approx 20 girls from clubs within the Holme Valley area of Huddersfield has seen formation of a new girls team, who entered the Heavy Woollen Junior Girls league this season. They finished 3^rd in the league and 4^th in the playoffs. Over 20 girls attend regularly and they play festivals in Cheshire and Barnsley too. They also attended the Pakistan v Australia Test Match in July.
• Copley CC ran girls only taster day and over 35 girls attended.

A comprehensive audit will be completed in December 2010 to provide an understanding of the current position of Women’s cricket Yorkshire wide. This will be made available on the Yorkshire Cricket Board website: www.yorkshirecricketboard.org.uk

2011

The challenge is to ensure the game is sustained & continues to grow including:

• Development of more playing opportunities for new and developing clubs/teams
• More female coaches/role models

• Increase the numbers crossing from school participation into club cricket
• Ensure all new/emerging teams become fully integrated and are provided with regular competitive opportunities

Other future developments may include:

• Representative cricket to be introduced at U11s
• Additional district team in West area
• Extended age group matches
• Encouraging hard ball cricket at U11s district matches
• West District playing other smaller counties (already play Lancashire)

OSCAs Female Winners 2010

Barbara Hare Award for Services to Women’s Cricket

Winner: Pauline Heath, South Yorkshire W&G

George Reah Special Award

Winner: Sarah Pickford, Yorkshire Women’s C A

NationalWest Cricket Force

Winner: Alison Slack, Fishlake C C

Services to Scoring

Winner:  Maureen Walker, Idle C C

Young Coach of the Year

Winner: Laura Payling, Frecheville C C

Francesca Anobile Memorial Award

For Young Leader of the Year, Presented in 2010 in memory of Francesca Anobile

Francesca was an outstanding Young Leader in 2008 but tragically died as a result of a sledging accident in 2009. This award will now be presented annually to the Young Leader of the Year.

Winner: The first award goes to Francesca’s family in her memory