FEMALE cricket in the South East is on the radar again this week, with an all-age girls cricket come-and-try program launched by the South Australian Cricket Association at Frew Park on Sunday.
The two-day program will conclude this Sunday and will be the last chance for females to try their hand at the sport in the current SACA program.
Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association junior coordinator Jonathan Allcock said the games and activities on offer are designed to be enjoyed both on the field and in the backyard.
“All of our games are designed to be fun and engaging for the people participating,” he said.
“They are all drills that kids can do at home.
“We will be looking at bowling, batting and fielding, but the big aim is to make it enjoyable and competitive.”
If the program is a success with positive turnout on Sunday, a new cricket competition could begin for girls in the South East region.
SACA South East member James Dunn said the objective from this event is to not only launch a new competition, but also select a female side to represent the South East at the country cup.
“What we are looking for from this program is to be able to launch a female cricket competition open to any age group,” he said.
“The final target will be to select a country cup side in both the Under 16 and senior competitions, but that it is dependant on numbers.”
This season is a landmark for female cricket in the South East.
It is the first time a club will field an all-girls side in a MGDCA competition, with a Mil Lel Under 12 girls team ready to start its inaugural season.
Allcock said the come and try program hopes to build on the encouraging development.
The two-day event at Frew Park is just the first of a number of programs, which are part of a “five-year plan” for the South East.
“Our big plan is to have a junior competition with purely girls, which I think would be wonderful,” Allcock said.
“Hopefully with all the school visits and the junior blast, we will be able to start encouraging young women to enjoy the sport.”
A special part of the program is the attendance of former women’s South Australian state cricketer Sarah-Jane Jameson.
Dunn said Jameson’s ability to share her knowledge of the game is a big bonus for the program and the region.
“She is great at engaging the kids and having fun,” he said.
“She has played state cricket before and coaches at club level.
“It is a good start for the region to get access of people like Sarah-Jane.”
After an under-par turnout in the opening session on the weekend, Dunn hopes the region can embrace the program this week.
He said more exciting opportunities will arrive if the community gets behind the final come and try session.
“We had a pretty disappointing turnout on Sunday,” Dunn said.
“But hopefully we can get enough numbers this week to launch a female competition.”
The final SACA female cricket come-and-try session will take place at Frew Park from 10-12pm this Sunday, while the girls cricket blast program will be held at Mount Gambier North Primary School on Monday nights at 3.45pm.
