Bedfordshire Cricketdriving and inspiring cricket

Ltd

FEBRUARY 2017

Danyaal heads for Northants!Bedfordshire Cricket is pleased to announce that Northamptonshire County Cricket Club have taken Danyaal Malik onto their Emerging Player Programme (EPP). Danyaal has been involved with Bedfordshire Young Cricketers for the past four seasons and last year he was part of the Regional EPP. During this time, he impressed the professional sta� at Northamptonshire who o� ered him a place on their programme. Danyaal is the fourth Bedfordshire youngster in the last three seasons to be taken onto an EPP or Academy programme. We wish Danyaal good luck for the coming season and beyond.

Table Cricket at the Winter School Games

Bedfordshire Cricket, in association with Lord’s Taverners, has been undertaking a full programme of Table Cricket training in a number of schools across the County getting them ready for the Bedfordshire and Luton Winter School Games Table Cricket Finals on Friday 3 March 2017 at Inspire: Luton Sports Village. A record 14 teams will be competing in the Table Cricket Finals this year. School Games is the legacy programme from London 2012 and the Winter School Games is an annual competition that is the Level 3 County Finals for schools in Bedfordshire and Luton. As well as table cricket, schools will be bringing teams to take part in boccia and swimming. There will be a medal ceremony at the end of the day. Come along and support the Table Cricket teams!

Respect Our BoundariesBedfordshire Cricket has been awarded funding for the second year from Network Rail to deliver a rail safety crime reduction message to children and young people through interactive games and coaching. The Respect Our Boundaries campaign will engage at least 10,000 students and young people aged between 8 and 25 through Chance to Shine or similar programmes in schools and summer camps or other community cricket events. Respect our Boundaries will educate young people on the threat, risk and harm of railway trespass and anti-social behaviour and ultimately save lives.

Kids get Chance to ShineIn 2016, 88 schools and 6,628 children across the county were involved in the Chance to Shine programme. Our programme in 2017 will be even larger and we are always looking to work with schools that would like to use cricket as a way of helping to develop their young people. If you would like to fi nd out more about our programme, please email howard.moxon@bedscricket.co.uk.

The nation’s favourite week of cricket based thrills and spills is back again for 2017. Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week will run from Monday 19 to Friday 23 June and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever! National Cricket Week is an opportunity to showcase the power of cricket and to inspire children to take up the game. It aims to bring cricket into the classroom and to use pupils’ passion for sport to help their learning. It is also a chance for children who may have never played the sport before to have the opportunity to try it. In 2016, over 1,500 schools joined in and tens of thousands of pupils across England and Wales got involved with a host of activities. Schools can sign up for this year’s Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week at: https://www.chancetoshine.org/ncw_signups. Bedfordshire Cricket would be interested to hear about your planned cricket activities during National Cricket Week – email sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk.

The Bedfordshire Cricket Academy delivers specialist coaching, training and skills to aspiring cricketers. All sessions take place at Bedford College Sports Hall and are run by fully qualifi ed ECB coaches. Places still available on both the Master Class and One-to-one coaching sessions – call 01234 291823.

• Master Classes

Running from Wednesday 15 February to Friday 17 February 2017 (half-term break), 9.30am-4pm for boys and girls from school years 3 to 7. Activities will include: the basics of batting and bowling; developing power into your cricket shots; developing pace and power into your bowling; and taking part in an indoor tournament. The cost is £100 for the three days (with a £5 sibling discount).

• One-to-one coaching sessions

Running during the half term break on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 February 2017, 9am-5pm, on Tuesday evenings 7.30-9pm from 21 February to 28 March 2017 and during the Easter break Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 April 2017, 9am-5pm. The 40-minute sessions take place at Bedford College, are open to all ages and costs are: one session £32, 2 for £60, 3 for £88, 4 for £116 or 5 for £144.

See our one-to-one coaching sessions in action at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXdZuzgeN6Q

Cricket Activator courseThis course is designed to help participants assist with coaching sessions and matches and is specifi cally aimed at individuals that already play for a club. The course will cover umpiring, scoring, the Laws of the Game and assisting with coaching sessions. The course consists of 2 modules - How to Assist a Coach and How to Umpire and Score. In order to achieve certifi cation, candidates must also complete 10 hours of voluntary work in a cricket environment. The next available course is on Thursday 6 April at Flitwick Cricket Club. 9.30am-1pm. The minimum age is 12 and there is no upper age limit. The fee is £10. If you are interested in this course, in the fi rst instance please email sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk. Applications can be made online in due course.

Scorers training

Bedfordshire Association of Cricket O� cials is o� ering a fi rst-level CLUB SCORER TRAINING COURSE at Flitwick Cricket Club: six two-hour evening sessions, on 20, 27 March and 3, 10, 18 and 24 April. From the course members’ point of view, it is best to go straight into a season. The cost is £60, but Bedfordshire Cricket Ltd and the Bedfordshire County Cricket League will provide a rebate of £40 in total, subject to the successful candidate o� ciating BCCL matches during the 2017 season. (Some clubs are also willing to support candidates.) To register email: paul.barnes780@ntlworld.com.

Steve takes umpiring to another levelCongratulations to Steve Cobb who has been invited onto the Minor Counties Cricket Association’s Umpires Panel for 2017. Steve said: “It was a great surprise to receive an email from the Minor Counties Cricket Association inviting me onto their Umpires Panel for 2017. This shows how e� ective the Bedfordshire Association of Cricket O� cial’s training and support is and should encourage existing and potential umpires in Bedfordshire. Hopefully this will be the start of Bedfordshire having more representatives on the panel going forward showcasing the high standard of umpiring in the county. My fi rst match is a one-day game on May Bank Holiday Monday at Manor Park, Norfolk v Cambridgeshire, and I am looking forward to the new challenges this brings, particularly the opportunity to o� ciate three-day matches.” Bedfordshire Cricket wishes Steve all the best for his new challenge in the forthcoming season.

Women & Girls Get into Cricket

In the region of 25 women and girls have been attending Sunday training at Marston Vale Middle School 1-3pm over the last month. The group have been working on developing skills and putting these into practice in games. They are preparing for the new Women & Girls Indoor Cricket League which starts on Sunday 5 March 1-3pm at Flitwick Leisure Centre. If you are interested in taking part in the League or would like to come along to a session, please email howard.moxon@bedscricket.co.uk or call 07740 365050.

“My love for cricket is beyond words and I got the chance to pursue my dreams through Beds Cricket! The sessions that are conducted on Sundays not only give me knowledge about cricket, but support me developing my personality as well. The level of coaching is beyond what I expected. It’s more than cricket that’s happening - it’s fun!” Anitha

“At 42 and having never played cricket before, I had the opportunity to join in the cricket sessions. The coaches made it fun and it is great to learn a new sport. I would thoroughly recommend cricket to any ladies or girls who want to try something new.” Cheryl

“Having never played cricket before, it has been a fantastic introduction to the sport and with the coaches’ support it has been easy to pick up the sport quickly. I would defi nitely recommend it to anyone.” Alice

NewsThere has been a great start to the year at the Wicketz Hubs across Luton and February is shaping up to be a very busy month! Abdus Salaam, who was a Hub participant last year, has just completed his ECB Coach Support Worker course and will be assisting in the delivery of the Hubs in the coming months! We hope that as more young people get to college age, we can provide them with opportunities to attend coaching courses and gain qualifi cations. In the half-term break, we will be hosting our fi rst indoor tournament between the three Hubs. This will be a great way to showcase the Wicketz hubs and create friendly competition! We are excited to announce that a new Farley Hill Hub will be launching on 22 February. This Hub will be based at Farley Hill Community Centre and will again be free for children aged 8-15 to come and have a go. We will be hosting our fi nal workshop with Bedfordshire Police as well in February, where the children will be hearing about how to prevent themselves becoming a victim of crime.

The 4 Wicketz Indoor Hubs are:

Luton Town and Indians Hub on Mondays 5-6pm at Denbigh High School

Farley Hill Hub on Wednesday 5-6pm starting 22 February at Farley Hill Community Centre

Luton Caribbean Hub on Thursdays 6-7.30pm at Ashcroft High School

Lutonian Hub on Fridays 6-7.30pm at Challney Girls School

Details at: http://www.bedscricket.co.uk/page/participation/lords-taverners-wicketz-programme/lords-taverners-wicketz-programme-11013/

Pictured: Abdus Salaam – Wicketz Coach Support Worker

Bedfordshire Cricket onBedfordshire Cricket’s YouTube Channel is now up and running! Please have a look and subscribe at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCrd-M6utVYtkXkeIRjFWKw. We will be regularly updating the channel with clips of Bedfordshire Cricket in action! For example, you can see what happened at the recent Welcome Day for the 2017 Bedfordshire Young Cricketers and get a fl avour of our one-to-one coaching sessions.

Host a youth county fi xtureIf any club is interested in hosting a boys or girls’ county fi xture in 2017 please email tonia.woodcock@bedscricket.co.uk by Friday 17 March. It is an opportunity to showcase your club’s facilities, raise valuable funds and help provide the counties young players with great experience. You will also be eligible for £50 from Beds Cricket for each day that you host.

Register for NatWest U19 Club T20Clubs can still register for this exciting competition! Focused on retaining young players, this vibrant competition lets young cricketers play with their friends and take ownership in their club, providing an exciting cricketing experience with fast, lively matches, a great social atmosphere and a chance to make your club look and feel di� erent for one night a week. The competition will be running locally as a joint competition with teams from Beds, Bucks, Cambs and Hunts. Register at: https://www.ecb.co.uk/be-involved/volunteering/t20-activator-course/natwest-u19-club-t20 by Monday 13 February.

Club Welfare O� cer training Bedfordshire Cricket will run Safe Hands Workshops in advance of the 2017 season on Wednesday 8 March 2017 for New Club Welfare O� cers and Wednesday 22 March 2017 for Refreshers. Both courses will take place at Bedford College 6.30-9.30pm.

In addition, Pre-season Briefi ng Sessions will be running on 25 April at Flitwick Cricket Club and 27 April at Ickwell Cricket Club at 7.30pm. For details email sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk. The CWO must attend two training courses – Safeguarding & Protecting Children Certifi cate and Safe Hands Workshop – and complete a DBS or vetting check, all of which needs to be updated every three years. Further details at: http://www.bedscricket.co.uk/page/compliance/safeguarding/club-welfare-o� cers-3643/

Grounds Training In partnership with Hertfordshire Cricket Grounds Association and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the Bedfordshire Cricket Grounds Committee will be hosting a seminar and a course as follows:

• Spring Grounds Seminar on Saturday 25 February at Flitwick Cricket Club 9am-12.30pm. Local suppliers will demonstrate various machines and representatives from local seed and fertiliser suppliers will explain their products and o� er advice. Additionally, ECB Grounds representatives will talk about their experiences and provide anecdotes and tips about life at the top of the profession. If anyone is interested in attending this seminar, please provide names of attendees to Geo� Swinden (geo� swinden@yahoo.co.uk).

• IOG Foundation A Course (Spring and Summer Preparation) on Tuesday 4 April at Letchworth Cricket Club. This all-day course deals with all aspects of preparing cricket grounds for the coming season and pitch preparation. The course will cost in the region of £170 per attendee (including refreshments) – Bedfordshire Cricket will subsidise this charge up to 50% for a� liated clubs. It is expected that demand for places will be high given that the course is being run in conjunction with Hertfordshire Cricket. If you wish to attend please send your details to Geo� Swinden (copied to tonia.woodcock@bedcricket.co.uk).

The Bedfordshire Cricket Grounds Association has been dormant for a few years but if there is enough interest and commitment, we are looking to start it functioning again. The objective of the Association will be to organise meetings throughout the year for Groundsmen from a� liated clubs (generally in the close season) to discuss all aspects of groundsmanship and hopefully attract guest speakers to talk about their area of expertise. If anyone is interested in helping start up the Grounds Association, please email malcolmwynn@yahoo.co.uk or geo� swinden@yahoo.co.uk.

Professional Fitness Training o� erYou will have read about last month’s Bedfordshire Young Cricketers Welcome Day where our girls’ and boys’ squads were put through their paces by Connor Browne, Head of Physical Preparation at Tenax Performance, who has now produced fi tness programmes for all the players involved. Connor works full time as a strength and conditioning coach with fi rst-class and international cricketers and he would like to o� er his services to the club cricketers within Bedfordshire. He is able to produce bespoke programmes to individual needs and circumstances delivered via an app. Further information on the o� er can be found at: https://www.tenaxperformance.com/what-we-o� er/beds-cricket-o� er-1/

All Stars Cricket Information Sessions – New Local Date ReleasedClubs have been attending All Stars Cricket information sessions during January and February to fi nd out all they need to know about running the new nationwide programme developed by the ECB and their Elite Coach Development team to inspire 5 to 8-year-olds to take up cricket and join a club! For those clubs that are interested in being an All Stars Centre but could not attend one of the regional events, we are pleased to announce there is a local session on Wednesday 15 February 7.30-9pm at Flitwick Cricket Club (MK45 5AA). You can register for this event at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5NMVZ9H. The ECB will provide clubs with everything they need to deliver a unique experience for kids and their parents including free equipment, free training and national marketing to help recruit youngsters to their clubs.

Pictured: County Board sta� are now trained to be All Stars Champions

Join a Chance to Shine Street LeagueThe Chance to Shine Street Leagues in Luton and Bedford are now up and running, following two successful competitions in Luton in 2015 and 2016. Chance to Shine Street is an inner-city cricket initiative that uses the game to promote social cohesion and create opportunities in diverse communities a� ected by anti-social behaviour and youth crime. At sessions, young people (16-24 year olds) play a 6-a-side, fast-paced, high-impact version of tape-ball cricket. The Luton Street League runs on Fridays at Denbigh High School from 6pm and the Bedford Street League also runs on Fridays at Biddenham International School & Sports College, 8-9pm. For details email brad.matthews@bedscricket.co.uk (Luton Street) or dominic.chatfi eld@bedscricket.co.uk (Bedford Street). The aim is to run a Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Finals Day sometime in April/May. Further details to be announced.

Pictured: Bedford Street League in action!

Bedfordshire Cricket is again o� ering Sixth Form Students a Young Leader development opportunity through an indoor cricket initiative – Indoor 24. This quick-fi re, fast-paced form of the game is aimed at participation that is played during lunch periods, after school or enrichment time. All participating schools receive 6 hours of coaching. Seven teams from fi ve schools have entered so far: Sandy Upper, Cedars Upper, Mark Rutherford, Sharnbrook Upper and Samuel Whitbread Academy. The fi nal will take place on Thursday 28 February at The Bunyan Centre, Bedford 10am-2pm. Further details from dominic.chatfi eld@bedscricket.co.uk.

NatWest CricketForce 2017Taking place over the weekend of 1 and 2 April, CricketForce helps clubs prepare for the upcoming season. It’s a great event for getting work done and improving team spirit. In the past, projects have ranged from simple paint jobs and sight screen scrubbing to brand-new changing rooms, function rooms and new pavilions. Whatever the project you have planned, it’ll be right for NatWest CricketForce. Bedfordshire has 18 clubs registered for NatWest CricketForce so far – for a Step-by-step Guide to organising your NatWest CricketForce event and to register, go to: http://www.bedscricket.co.uk/news/natwest-cricketforce-2017-16622/.

Jewson Privilege Account Scheme now openThe 2017 Jewson Privilege Account Scheme is now open and all clubs that have registered for NatWest CricketForce can apply. If your application is successful, the club pays a £50 deposit and will then be given an additional £250 to spend at the local Jewson branch. Don’t miss out on this fantastic scheme to help the work you’re doing for NatWest CricketForce (available to the fi rst 1500 that register only). For further information, go to: http://www.bedscricket.co.uk/news/would-you-like-250-to-spend-at-jewson-on-your-club-17762/.

Coach Education WorkshopThe last chance to attend a coach education event before the start of the season! On Saturday 25 March the Bedfordshire Coaches Association will run a Bowling & Keeping Wicket to Finger Spin Workshop from 10am to 3pm at Bedford College costing £25 (£15 for Bedfordshire Coaches Association members). The morning session will focus on bowling fi nger spin; how to teach youngsters to spin the ball and the basics of a good bowling action. The afternoon session will look at keeping wicket to fi nger spin; the basics of a good technique and the drills to help hone the young keepers into becoming profi cient at keeping wicket standing up to fi nger spinners. To register your place, email sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk.

ECB Coach Support Worker courseThis course is designed to help to develop your confi dence and equip you with the knowledge, understanding and applied skills to assist a qualifi ed coach in a coaching session and create a safe, enjoyable and welcoming player-centred environment. The next available course is on Saturday 25 March 9am-5pm at Cedars Upper School, Leighton Buzzard. The minimum age to undertake this course is 16. If you are interested in this course, in the fi rst instance please email sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk. Applications can be made online in due course.

Sally Church, EditorTelephone: 01234 291824 • Email: sally.church@bedscricket.co.uk • Trinity Arts & Leisure, Bromham Road, Bedford MK40 2QD

Martin Darlow, Chief ExecutiveEmail: martin.darlow@bedscricket.co.uk • Mobile: 07760 171467

Follow Bedfordshire Cricket @BedsCricket /bedscricket www.bedscricket.co.uk

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Bedfordshire Cricket’s YouTube Channel is now up and running! Please have a https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCrd-