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The Warwickshire Cricket Foundation launched its first Girls Development Centre programme for girls aged 10-14 in August 2023, to bridge the gap between club and county pathway cricket.
To deliver the programme, an all-female coaching team was formed, which included Ria Fackrell and Bethan Ellis, professional cricketers for the women’s professional team, Central Sparks, and Gwenan Davies, who previously played for Birmingham Phoenix.
Following the summer, the majority of the girls tried out for places on Warwickshire’s county age group pathway, with nine girls making it to this year’s summer squads.
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A camp at Easter has already taken place as part of this year’s expanded development centre programme.
Gabby Basketter, Women and Girls’ Development Officer said: “It’s fantastic to have a great number of girls involved in this programme who have access to high-quality coaching from coaches who have a great of experience of the girls and women’s game in Warwickshire, but also from people the girls can look up to as role models.”
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“The development centre programme aims to bridge the gap between club and pathway cricket and the fact we’ve seen nine girls progress shows that the programme is working.”
“I’m excited for the future of this programme, to keep girls playing cricket throughout the summer holidays but also providing competitive opportunities where girls can make new friends in a relaxed environment.”
This summer, the programme will consist of particular cricket match days separated by age group, followed by a three-day camp, providing even more playing time for individuals who have previously been involved.
To read more about the experiences of those who took part, please click here.