A local club in Northumberland has seen the number of women’s and girls’ players it welcomes almost double over the past two years following a simple strategic plan which initially focused on listening and learning.
South Northumberland Cricket Club now boasts more than 100 women and girls with the club establishing itself as a blueprint for others across the country to follow.
The Newcastle-based club has created a comprehensive women’s and girls’ strategic plan after making a commitment to understand what would attract more female players of all ages to pick up a bat and ball, and the results have been spectacular.
That listening exercise has led to investment in facilities – which have been part funded by the ECB – to give greater access to all players as well as rolling out a new schools strategy to give more children in the area access to cricket.
The club has also discounted women’s and girls’ memberships and even attracted international coaches.
“We’ve had two main aims,” says South Northumberland CC chairman Howard Sidney-Wilmot as he reflects on the club’s much-heralded women’s and girls’ strategic plan.
“The first has been to increase participation numbers and enthuse the women’s and girls’ membership. And the second has been to strive for excellence across the women’s and girls’ section, especially with players who show good potential.
“The result has been pretty clear, with growth accelerating over the last two years from 50-60 players then to over 100 players now.”
The plan is already paying dividends with two girls selected for the Northern Diamonds Academy and one player progressing to the full Northern Diamonds squad.
Several strands of the strategic plan have come together to create significant momentum for the club.
- A survey for girls and their parents is being created to gather important feedback about the experience of playing at the club. This is seen as an important way to improve parental interest and support.
- Zimbabwe vice-captain Josephine Nkomo was employed over the summer of 2022 as the club’s first overseas female coach, helping the club’s girl players on a one-to-one basis and setting a statement of intent about the club’s commitment to women’s and girls’ development. “Her role was to act as a mentor and focal point of all this activity,” says Howard. “We’re actively trying to make sure she comes back in 2023.”
- New floors, lighting and netting have been installed at the club’s five-lane indoor cricket centre, known externally as the North East Cricket Academy, giving more options for women’s and girls’ cricket both at South Northumberland and in the wider community.
- A new coaching programme is being instigated at local state schools, encouraging both boys and girls to give cricket a try and funnelling those who are interested in playing more towards South Northumberland CC.
- In a bid to encourage even more participants, South Northumberland women’s and girls’ memberships have been offered at lower rates than those available to boys and men.
- The club also has a thriving women’s softball section and introduces youngsters to the joys of cricket from the age of 4 through their ‘Mini Bulls’ programme
- South Northumberland’s Women’s and Girls’ Cricket Committee has engaged with Manchester Originals bowler Phoebe Graham’s TipnFlip advisory business to understand how best to develop shared facilities and accommodate the needs of women and girls at every level of the club. Phoebe uses her own experiences in professional sport to gather best practices which she then shares with club officials.
- South Northumberland has also created its own Girls Academy to work with promising girl players and actively encourages them to play in boys’ teams at junior level, accelerating their development and exposing them to different levels of cricket.
“We’re trying to do as much as we can as a club,” says Howard.
“With the profile women’s and girls’ sport is now getting across mainstream media, we want to create the best possible environment for all our members and players.
“As we go forward, we’ll consistently try to put more resources into women’s and girls’ cricket wherever we can.”
To find out more about women’s and girls’ cricket near you, please contact the following Women’s and Girls’ Cricket Development Officers.
South Northumberland CC were able to access a grant of £150,000 to upgrade its indoor facility as part of the ECB’s Transform Fund. This fund is solicited via County Cricket Boards who identify projects important to the growth of the Women's and Girls' game in their County Facilities Strategy. Contact your County Cricket Board for more details on County Facilities Strategies, which are under review for publication in 2023.