Cricket: Picnic Cricket in Park specially for youngsters

Stephanie Hayes, batting, of Bethlehem College and Natalia George of Pillans Point Primary in action.

An initiative to introduce 4 to 6-year-old boys and girls to cricket in a fun environment is being introduced at Blake Park during November and December.

The Western Bay of Plenty Cricket Association has put together Picnic Cricket in the Park, in which youngsters will get the chance to receive basic coaching before playing fun games of cricket, on Fridays early in the evening after school and work have wound up for the week.

Picnic in the Park Cricket is about parents rocking up to Blake Park with a rug to sit on and watch their kids get immersed in the introductory steps of the game.

The games will finish with a sausage sizzle where parents and the youngsters can mingle with other families and perhaps relax with a BYO picnic meal.

While Western Bay Cricket run Have A Go (Hag) Cricket, which is the introduction game for Year 1 and 2 youngsters, the new initiative is about giving young kids a taste of the fun and action of cricket.

The expectation is that kids that have never had the opportunity to put bat to ball will want to go on to play Saturday morning junior cricket.

Mount Maunganui Cricket Club members have raised their hands to deliver the first Picnic Cricket in the Park programme.

It is envisaged that the programme will be rolled out at further Western Bay venues during February and March 2014.

Senior Mount club players in their playing strip will be on hand each Friday night to deliver the coaching drills and run the cricket games.

The activities will kick off at 5pm with the roll-up and 30 minutes of coaching drills, before Blake Park will be alive with the squeals of action as the youngsters enjoy a game that can be played for life.

The first night of Picnic Cricket in the Park will kick off on Friday November 1 and run for seven successive Friday evenings.

To make the night affordable, the cost is $50 for the seven sessions and includes a Mount junior cricket playing shirt.

Registration for the fun cricket evenings involves calling Don Warner (WBOPCA Cricket Co-ordinator) on 07 574 5646 or 321 307 081.