DRAKES League Premier club Kirkburton are doing their bit to encourage girls cricket and staged their first all-female game at Riley Lane against Holme Valley Girls.

The match was organised by Drew Gregory, the Community Sports Officer for Kirkburton Middle School, who plays with Emley Clarence in the Huddersfield League’s Cedar Court Conference.

Gregory coaches the Kirkburton girls team, who are aged between eight and 14, and which is drawn from pupils at Shelley, Kirkburton, Highburton, Skelmanthorpe and Rowley Lane schools.

“The game against Holme Valley was hopefully the first of many fixtures for the girls,” said Gregory. “Part of my job is to go round all the schools in the Shelley pyramid coaching cricket, and over 60% of those I coach are girls.

“Clubs like Kirkburton link very well with their local schools, which not only help strengthen the club’s junior section with the boys, but also encourages girls to play more cricket, which has to be a good thing.

“At present we have girls teams at Kirkburton, Paddock and Holme Valley (who are based at Holmbridge) and it would only take another few teams to emerge and then Huddersfield could have its own league.”

The match at Riley Lane, which involved all the girls bowling two overs and batting in pairs for four overs, and resulted in a victory for Holme Valley, was partly organised by Mick Greig, who heads Kirkburton’s Chance 2 Shine programme.

Drew Gregory is pictured with the teams taking part in the all-girls’ clash at Kirkburton.

(PC230410Dcricket)