Durham Cricket is launching a county-wide indoor under-9 competition programme for the first time to support the development of the under-9 junior playing offer across the county.
Five competitions in the five DCB Junior League divisions will take place in the lead-up to the season, giving clubs and players an indoor pre-season playing opportunity.
The initiative is part of Durham Cricket’s Five-Year Grassroots Action Plan to grow the game by powering and creating more sustainable under-9 opportunities at clubs.
Graeme Weeks, Director of Cricket Development said: “The indoor programme we have put in place will give equal opportunities to clubs to enter their teams and will get us prepared for the season.
“It is so important to keep players involved for longer, beyond the season, and this competition gives clubs a perfect opportunity to re-engage their youngest cricketers and play as a team in preparation for the summer.
“It will also involve All Stars Cricket participants in an indoor competition, some maybe for the first time, meaning they may be more likely to return to the game in the upcoming summer.”
After a record-breaking summer in 2021 with over 71,000 children taking part in All Stars Cricket nationally and nearly 3,000 participants across Durham alone, developing the pathway after the end of the eight-week programme is a key for the recreational game.
Graeme Weeks added: “Our team’s focus for the next few years is to support the club pathway at the Under-9 level, which will ensure that there are many opportunities for All Stars to continue playing after their eight-week programme has finished.
“The success of the under-9’s pathway is a crucial development tool for the girls’ game, too. With the number of girls joining All Stars every year, we, as a game, must ensure that the opportunities are there for them to keep playing.
“This is why our team is supporting clubs towards a strong pathway with both competitive and training opportunities in every club that runs All Stars.”
In 2021, over 30 per cent of All Stars Cricket participants in Durham were girls.
Durham Cricket will run five under-9 competitions covering five regions of the county – Central, South East, South West, North East and Tyneside.