Leamington Cricket Club to host women and girls’ cricket skills day

Leamington Cricket Club is calling on women and girls of all ages to join them for a workshop day to mark a successful end to their regular season.

The club, which is based in Arlington Avenue, is holding a workshop on Friday, July 30, focused on skills development, in particular the move from softball to hardball.

Leamington CC’s women and girls’ section, which is sponsored by Leamington law firm Blythe Liggins, has doubled this summer to almost 40 members, with plans to run an under-13 hardball and a women’s hardball side in competitive leagues for the first time in 2022.

The workshop is open to women and girls aged eight upwards, with the club’s fully-trained female coaches leading the sessions as part of an action-packed day which will run from 10am until 3.30pm.

Marie Bawden, head of women and girls’ cricket at the club, said: “We believe we now have the largest women and girls’ section in south Warwickshire.

“We have invested in particular in our coaching and support activity, which regularly sees most of the squad training on a Thursday evening at the club, where we focus on women and girls of all abilities and ages.

“As a mum who started playing in recent years to play alongside her daughter, I’ve seen first-hand how much fun cricket can be and would encourage others to try, even if they have never played before.”

Kevin Mitchell, chairman of Leamington Cricket Club and a partner at long-term sponsors Blythe Liggins, said: “We are really excited to help support this workshop, with the club thrilled to see so many new members joining Leamington.

“Over recent years, we have helped 11 girls play for Warwickshire and Worcestershire, something we are extremely proud of here at Leamington.

“However, the plan has always been to create our own sides that play and train together each week, rather than see our players move to other clubs to get games.

“With the scale of this summer’s success, which has also included some of the women playing in our men’s league teams, this workshop couldn’t come at a better time, as we are now sure we have enough to create our own teams in 2022.

“Blythe Liggins’ sponsorship has also helped us train five female coaches and three scorers, as we don’t want to just become a ‘pay and play’ club, our aim is to play each week as an inclusive team.

“If there are women locally who perhaps played in their youth, or have always wanted to play and not managed to find the time, we would love to see them at this day.”

The event costs £15 for the day and anyone who would like to book, or to find out more information, can visit https://www.leamladiescricket.co.uk/product/women-girls-festival-day/.

For more about Leamington women and girls’ section, visit www.leamladiescricket.co.uk or see the main club website at www.leamingtoncricket.co.uk.