Associations combine forces to take girls' cricket to new levels in ...
In a beautiful show of collaboration and strength that took girls’ cricket to new heights in the area, the St George District Cricket Association girls’ teams were integrated into the Sutherland Shire Junior Cricket Association’s girls-only competition in 2023/24.
Now, at the start of the 2024/25 season, through an amazing show of combined effort and right choices, the competition is set to grow 175 percent. In just one year, it has grown from eight to 14 all-girls teams.
Not only did the collaboration that started last season provide more cricket playing opportunities to the girls of both associations, it also created a bigger scope to build more teams of girls transitioning from Cricket Blast to junior cricket in the combined area.
It takes a village to raise a child and for these children, it was the combined effort of the associations and the local women’s premier cricket club, the St George-Sutherland Slayers Women's Cricket Club, to bring the girls up to where they could have the confidence to play Stage 1 cricket.
It all started in July 2023 when the Associations committed to forming the joint-venture competition. This was quickly followed by the associations collaborating to organise three pre-season initiatives – a girls’ winter skills program, girls’ holiday clinic and girls’ cricket gala day. The initiatives saw 86 registrations across the joint programs and laid a great foundation for the season ahead.
The increased activity during the pre-season attracted many new participants across both associations. Enough so that the formation of the critical fourth Stage 1 team for the competition was achieved and the joint-venture competition was viable.
The St George DCA continued the momentum by establishing an all-girls Cricket Blast centre at Hurstville Oval, which attracted a further 20 female participants.
In the 2024/25 season, there are now eight teams in Stage 1 (from four in 2023/24) and six teams in Stage 2 (also from four in 2023/24), thanks to all the work of the associations and local women’s premier cricket club.
One of the best results of this competition and its growth has been that the girl players of St George DCA are now self-sufficient, proudly fielding two Stage 1 teams and one Stage 2 team, all representing St George DCA in the current season.
Nechal Dhillon, Head of Community Experience, Cricket NSW, said:
“The two associations joining hands was one of the best outcomes we could have for girls’ cricket in the area, and the growth in the number of teams in just one season has proven that beyond a doubt. This is a great example of the incredible results that can be achieved through collaboration and imaginative thinking. I look forward to seeing more girls getting involved in cricket in the coming years.”
