Youth
Cricket in Gwent is completely ‘open’ throughout with girls able to play in
all competitions. The game is as much a girls’ game as it a boys’ with the
only difference being in the ‘strength’ activities such as fast bowling and
six-hitting which manifests itself as they move into adulthood. To reflect
this girls can play ‘one year down’ at Under 11 and Under 13 and ‘two years
down’ at Under 15.
For the
first time, in 2008, a team of girls was entered in the The Monmouthshire
Building Society Youth Cricket League at Under 11 with the girls still being
able to play in the mixed teams of their clubs. In 2010 there
will now be three girls teams in the League: Lisvane, Newport and Gwent Girls
(whose girls come from teams across Gwent). There is also a Gwent U13
squad, formed of girls from these teams, which plays against other counties and
attends a three-day festival at Llandovery in August. Details of the squad
and reports of its matches can be found by clicking on the U13 button above.
Girls
Cricket is still at an early stage of development but many of the Gwent players
have represented Wales and the opportunities for regional cricket are growing.
