Cricket NSW have bold plans to increase the number of girls and women playing cricket, working hand in hand with clubs, associations and schools.
Cricket NSW Female Engagement Strategy
Cricket NSW have bold plans to increase the number of girls playing cricket, working hand in hand with clubs, associations and schools.
Here is a document with key kips on making your clubs more welcoming for girls and women:
Women in Sport UK resources – creating allies for your girls
These are fantastic simple to use resources for coaches and clubs for ways to engage more girls:
https://womeninsport.org/resource/coaches-toolkit-creating-mini-allies/
Woolworths Cricket Blast
Cricket Blast is the starting journey for all girls
Experience the joy of backyard cricket in a more structured way. Cricket-based game-based activities recreate the magic and lasting memories of pick-up games of cricket. There are girls only options too!
Find your local program in the program finder from this link: https://play.cricket.com.au/program-finder
Cricket Blast in Schools
Thanks to generous sponsorship by our friends at Woolworths and Commonwealth Bank we can come to your school and offer a 4 week program. We may even be able to offer this for free to engage more girls.
If you’d like to have a program at your school, please get in school with julie.stafford@cricketnsw.com.au and tell us your school.
Girls Only Junior Cricket
Junior Club Cricket is the next step after Cricket Blast. You can play in mixed Club Teams or in Girls only Junior Cricket Competitions in local Associations around NSW.
- There are smaller team sizes to encourage greater match action for all players
- We have reduced the pitch length & boundary widths for the younger age groups to make sure they're relevant to your child's size and age
- Gone are the days where junior cricket takes up the whole weekend! We are now offering shortened match lengths with high levels of action & involvement
All girls cricket leagues provide fun and competitive cricket competition for girls.
- Recommended for girls aged 11-18
- 2 hour games
- Different formats allow girls to progress based on their ability
- Fun and active, make new friends
- Some equipment may be provided
In summary the Stages for progression are:
Stage 1 is 7 a side and players bowl off 16m. Suitable for u11’s and girls new to cricket aged u13
Stage 2 s 9 a side and play off an 18m pitch. Suitable for u13’s and girls new to cricket aged U15
Stage 3 is 11 a side traditional cricket suitable for anyone who can play well and bowl off the full pitch length of 20.1m
More info can be found HERE
Find your local club HERE
Funding available for Junior Clubs for Girls
Each season we have grants available to support local clubs. The Growing Cricket for Girls and Leading Clubs Grant give grants to clubs looking to help create and retain girls' teams. Contact your local cricket manager or Julie Stafford (julie.stafford@cricketnsw.com) to discuss. Money can be used for:
- Equipment
- Coaching
- Coloured uniforms for girls
- Other ideas
Dads and Daughters
This ground-breaking program is for dads and their daughters!
- Find out more and get involved HERE.
Holiday Programs
We offer an opportunity for girls to have a day of cricket fun during the Holidays. Check out this page for all the latest programs.
https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/school-holidays
Female Coaches
We’re focussed on changing the landscape of cricket by having more female coaches.
Please check out this page that tells you all the info you need on how to become a coach and keep an eye out for female only coaching courses run locally.
https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/coaching
Female Umpires
We’re also keen on getting far more females umpiring that currently we have!
Check out this page for everything you need for umpiring: https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/umpiring
For more information please contact Claire Polosak: Claire.Polosak@cricketnsw.com.au
Social Women’s Cricket Comps
We have a number of social women’s cricket leagues for all standards and abilities around NSW to join. Contact your local association or find a local comp here:
- Twilight Womens Cricket League: https://www.twilightwomenscricket.com/
WiCKETS - Women on Cricket Committees
WiCKETS is an initiative to create a simple network of our current amazing women who are involved with cricket so that we can share ideas and best practice. We'd love more women in leadership roles in their clubs to address the gender imbalance that currently exists in many clubs.
The Facebook group network plans to empower, encourage and support more women so they feel confident to join a committee by sharing "WiCket wisdom" in the form of videos, forums and networking events.
To join our WiCKETS group simply click this link here and we'll add you!
Cricket NSW Youth Championships
If you love the game and find out you’re pretty good at it, your Local Cricket Association may well enter a team into the Cricket NSW Youth Championships. This is our representative cricket pathway.
There are two age groups and competitions for girls; the Mollie Dive Shield for girls aged U13 and the Margaret Peden Shield for those U15.
Talk to your local club about being considered for representative cricket.
More information is available HERE
Pathways to Elite Cricket
The Cricket NSW Female Youth Pathway is the most successful in the country. For more information about the pathway to Academies and elite:
- More information HERE
Sydney Women’s Premier Cricket
This is the Women’s Premier Grade competition across Sydney. It offers competitive T20 and One Day matches for players in First to Third Grades as well as Under 18 Brewer Shield.
A few of these players compete for the Sixers WBBL and Thunder WBBL teams!
Women’s Big Bash League
Cricket NSW have two highly successful WBBL teams – the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.
Follow them here and come to watch them play during the summer months.
NSW Breakers
The all-conquering NSW Breakers are our women’s NSW State team. They take part in one day (50 over) matches against the other states and territories.
Get to know our Breakers squad!