NEWPORT Cricket Club intend to continue as trailblazers for the women’s game after launching a raft of initiatives for the coming season.
Since the formation of a women and girls section as part of the club’s 175th Anniversary in 2009, Newport has led the way with four UK titles for the women’s team, U13 girls team (twice) and the U15 girls team.
The club will host matches by the professional Western Storm franchise team, the Western Storm academy team and the Wales Women’s senior and junior age group teams during the 2021 season.
To build on Newport’s unprecedented success with women and girls cricket, the club has revealed plans for a major expansion of the section.
Newport will launch a Dynamos Girls section for U8 to U11 girls with sessions conducted by fully-qualified women coaches at Spytty Park on Tuesdays (6-8pm).
Newport's Spytty Park home
To introduce the programme, two girls-only free taster sessions will be held on Tuesday, April 27 and Tuesday, May 4 before the full start on Tuesday, May 11.
Newport will also be running U11, U13 and U15 girls teams in 2021 plus they will launch a women’s softball team.
That is to appeal to women who want to play cricket socially, as opposed to the more competitive team who will play in the South East Women’s Premier Cricket League, where they will play clubs from Bath, Bridgewater, Radyr, Briton Ferry and Devizes.
The club will organise an internal women’s cricket festival on Friday, June 25 where new players interested in playing or becoming involved in the new softball team are encouraged to attend, with equipment provided.
The team will play in a series of softball festivals throughout the summer, and will host one on Sunday, July 4.
There are places for six teams at each festival and it is hoped that all festivals will be full, with massive interest being generated in this form of the game.
The Newport softball team will run alongside the hardball team with the aim of providing a transition for anyone who wants to change at a later date.
Chairman Mike Knight said: “We’ve been the front runners in women and girl’s Cricket for a long time and it’s great to see the game expanding so quickly.
“Cricket is a fantastic summer sport for women and girls to be involved in and a full pathway from club to international cricket is now in place.
“The club’s new initiatives for 2021 have created tremendous excitement and we hope that 2021 will be a great year for Women and Girls Cricket in Newport.”
Anyone interested in playing cricket can email mike.knight2@ntlworld.com or ring 07793823294.
To register for Dynamo Cricket at Newport click: HERE
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