“It’s really been fun being able to play cricket on the Edgbaston field,” announced Darcey, aged 10. Darcey summed up the reactions of the participants at WCB’s junior softball festivals, which took place on the outfield of the main pitch at Edgbaston on the 31st August and 1st of September. The festivals give U11 girls and U9 club teams the opportunity to play cricket in a stadium that has hosted Warwickshire, Birmingham Phoenix, England and Commonwealth Games matches in 2022. In fact, many of the children had been to Edgbaston already this summer as spectators. They were now relishing the opportunity to step the other side of the boundary and play on the stadium outfield.
Darcey and her team-mates from Alcester & Ragley CC took part in the U11 girls’ softball festival on Thursday 1st September. The girls were clearly enjoying the experience and created plenty of photo opportunities in between matches, as memories of a special day. As Darcey remarked, “To play here is a chance not many kids get.”
Darcey’s team-mate Marianne, also aged 10, agreed. “It’s a real honour to come here. We’ve loved it. Everything has been well organised and gone smoothly.”
Connie, aged 9, also from Alcester & Ragley CC, added, “It’s been fun playing cricket at Edgbaston. We have done well and enjoyed working together as a team.”
Their collaborative approach was also reflected in the Alcester & Ragley CC coaching team of Ashlee Powell and Dave Magnall. Both Ashlee and Dave have recently completed their ECB Level 2 coaching qualifications with the WCB and were busy putting their coaching knowledge into practice at the festival. Dave said, “The Level 2 qualification has been useful, especially as we have been working with the same group of girls on their cricketing journey, so we have been able to see them develop. A day like this is very inclusive and a great opportunity to get the girls playing more. That is our approach, to lower the barriers to entry and get girls playing cricket.”
“The coaching course has given us the right tools to help the girls,” added Ashlee. “We also try to accommodate all the girls, so we provide 1:1 sessions for those girls who can’t make training on a Friday night and it keeps them involved. Previously, there was no pathway specifically for the girls. Some girls are happy to play alongside the boys; that tends to be a specific type of girl though. We now have a separate pathway at our club for other girls who just want to play girls’ cricket. It’s great for them to come here to Edgbaston. It’s really encouraged them. Lots of them have been here for The Hundred and they are excited to come and play on the same pitch.”
Also represented at the U11 girls’ softball festival was Sutton Coldfield CC. Team coach Laura Spence was encouraging her team from the boundary. “The chance for them to play cricket at Edgbaston is superb,” Laura said. “This festival is part of our drive at Sutton Coldfield CC to get more females represented as players and coaches. Our girls have played in a few softball festivals this summer and really enjoyed the experience. They have had plenty of opportunities to play cricket. We started with a small group, then friends of friends were enlisted and have now joined the club. The festivals are well organised and there is always a great atmosphere. One of our girls actually plays county cricket for Warwickshire, but she also loves playing in these softball festivals too because they are so much fun. In fact, the festivals are so good, we have decided to host one ourselves later this month.”
Tom Jenkins from Bedworth CC was at Edgbaston for the second day running, having coached the victorious Bedworth U9 team the previous day. Tom was not alone in returning for a second day as two girls, Ariana and Issy, who had represented the Bedworth CC U9 team, were also back at Edgbaston as part of the U11 girls’ team. “Yesterday Ariana and Issy played here in the Bedworth CC U9 team, alongside my son Harry. Ariana and Issy are back today, while Harry is also here supporting them from the stands. Playing alongside Ariana and Issy are two six year old girls, who are making their debut. One of those six year olds is my daughter Emily. All the girls have loved the experience and the relaxed, fun atmosphere. It’s been great seeing the players on both days all enjoy the experience.”
The girls’ festival was organised Gabby Basketter, WCB Women & Girls’ Officer. Gabby was delighted to see so many girls playing cricket at Edgbaston. She organised for individual participants Keziah (aged 11) and Florrie (aged 7) from Coleshill CC to join up and play with other teams. It was the first time Keziah and Florrie had played together but they enjoyed the experience and developed a strong friendship during the day.
Keziah’s mum Cheryl talked about what the opportunity to participate in the festival meant to Keziah. “This is wonderful for her. Keziah is a young carer, and this festival has given her an opportunity to enjoy herself and be with other children. Having cricket this summer has made a world of difference to Keziah’s world. The festivals have been valuable in building her confidence and making friends – as well as giving her something to look forward to. She is also recovering from Long Covid so it’s great to see her building her strength up again on days like this.”
Keziah was the recipient of a Birmingham Phoenix shirt, signed by the Phoenix women’s team. Gabby Basketter nominated Keziah as Player of the Day for the way she joined in and adapted with a number of new teams. The overall tournament winning team was Dorridge CC, with Corley CC U11 girls coming runners up in their first ever softball festival. “There has been a great standard of cricket here today,” Gabby told all the participants. “Thank you to your parents and coaches for bringing you here and thank you to all the girls for playing the tournament in such a good spirit.”
Gabby also thanked the Edgbaston grounds’ staff for enabling both festivals to take place on the outfield at the end of a very busy summer. “Due to scheduling, it’s the first time we have been able to stage a girls’ festival on the outfield in the 18 months since I started here at the WCB. I hope there will be more opportunities in the future, as we can all see today the impact that playing here has in inspiring girls and boys, the cricketers of the future.”
