Aberdeenshire Cricket Association :: Forum

[Lets improve the grades]

Hi all,
Gilly has mentioned (i think it's a great idea) an unregistered list of junior players which clubs can call on to provide some additional players when clubs are short of numbers. Obviously some safeguards would have to be in place and the actual mechanics of how this would work will need to be thought out but in principal i think it's a great idea and i see no reason why Caley would not support this (second it) as a proposal at an AGM.

Please feel free to give me your thoughts to this to gauge opinion and support for this idea... if you disagree ... ok just be constuctive say why and offer a way forward...

Ideally a club with a junior section (there are not many i know) would be great to hear views from... yes or no guys what do you think? good idea?

[JT]

Great idea in my opinion, should be put in place in time for next season

[slip catcher]

Subject to safeguards being in place Cults Juniors are totally behind this - albeit we still only really have the very bottom age group available.

But with the chance of proper cricket, and, I would say, the proviso that any juniors selected get a bit more than No 11 and fine leg to fine leg, then let's make it happen as this has to be a route to keeping youngsters in cricket.

My experience of playing youngsters in a team is that the opposition is always happy to take into consideration the age of the player and encourage that with age sensible play until they start tanking the ball out the ground in which case all bets are off and rightly so.

I'd be happy to be involved in any work required to draw something up that helps make this happen

[Gman]

Ok guys I agree in principal that a junior list is a good idea, the logistics would be tricky as putting out 4 teams and managing our juniors already takes up a lot of time and effort. These kids in the words of Neil McRae need a product to grab them and hook them on cricket. Kids have so many other things they can do with their time, this leads to my next point treatment of these kids ! Are they just to make up the numbers so teams can play are they guaranteed the right environment at other clubs, language appropriate conversations etc. I don't expect any of this to happen but it can't be guaranteed not to ! We have our G4 team with no jersey carriers made up almost completely of juniors with a development path and the correct environment. Mr purples comments previously only heighten my reservations about juniors playing elsewhere. As for the schools the Kwik cricket festivals we do all this but would always be interested on doing more or working with other clubs.where possible we can look to accommodate junior festivals at mannofield next year if notice is given in advance, the more the better what better to hook parents than a drink and bite to eat while their kids have fun!
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3RD Team Grade 1.

[JT]

I've had a young lad on loan from Mannofield this season. He's only played 2 games so far but would have played 5-6 if it wasn't for the weather. In both games he was down to bat at 6, but unfortunatly due to circumstances he didn't bat in either as my top 5 got plenty of runs. He also bowled 6 overs in the first game and took 1-20, didn't bowl second time around because I had lots of bowlers and conditions were also very difficult (wet ball and very slippy under foot).

Kintore don't have a youth system, so having a young player or two come on loan works well for both sides: we get another player to help with the numbers, and the young players get some real game experience.

There is of course no guarentee that every young player would get to bowl and bat as much as they'd like, but if nothing else getting competitive game time would still give them valuable experience.