This week (January 29), our Club of the Week feature continues. The Club of the Week is the City of Ely Girls Cricket teams.

Who are the City of Ely Cricket Club?

The City of Ely Cricket Club has been a sporting team in East Cambridgeshire for many years, and teams have been playing at the Paradise Centre since 1856.

There are several different teams at the City of Ely Cricket Club, including a men's first and a women's first teams, mixed second and third teams, a mixed Sunday team a mixed midweek team, and a women's softball team.

There are also mixed Under 15s, Under 13s, Under 11s and Under 9s teams.

The club has ran girls-only cricket for three years. There is a Girls Under 13 team, and a Girls Under 11 team.

Rebecca Case-Upton manages the Under 13 team, and Damon Parkington manages the Under 11 team. 

What do they do?

The girls teams play cricket and compete in various matches. Both the Under 13s team and Under 11s team are involved in different competitive leagues. 

How many girls attend the club?

There are 14 girls on the Under 11s team, who range in age from eight to ten years old. 

There are 12 girls on the Under 13s team.

How often do they meet?

Winter training takes place once a week from January to March.

Summer training also takes place once a week, and usually starts in May and runs until the end of August.

Is there a membership cost for the club?

Membership costs £50 a year. However, there is a £10 discount for any siblings that are members at the club.

Training sessions cost an additional £3.

Is there any special equipment that is used in training?

All of the equipment is provided by the City of Ely Cricket Club.

Are there volunteers who help train at the club?

All of the training for the girls teams is provided by volunteers who are English Cricket Board level 1/2 coaches.

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What sort of competitions does the club take part in?

Both age groups get the opportunity to take part in matches across different cricket leagues.

The girls team's have played in both softball cricket matches as well as hardball cricket matches.

Can new members join at any time of the year?

New members are welcome any time of the year, and the club encourage anyone who would like to join to get in touch.

A word from the club

"Some of our success stories are girls that started with us as 8/9 year-olds three years ago with no cricket experience whatsoever, who have now progressed with us to the stage that they are ready to play in their first hardball cricket competition this year.

"The girls say that they enjoy coming to the sessions as they are always fun with lots of games. 

"When playing in competitions the girls in our team have always stood out as fantastic team players who cheer each other on and enjoy competing."

At the start of January, both the Under 13s and Under 11s started their training at Ely College.

Manager and Captain, Damon Parkington, said: "The girls are looking forward to competing in the summer, where they will be playing matches against other teams in the Cambridgeshire area."

Contact details

Anyone who would like to enquire about the girl's cricket teams can submit a form to the club via the City of Ely Cricket Club website: http://cityofely.play-cricket.com

Contact details for managers Damon Parkington and Rebecca Case-Upton are also available on the City of Ely Cricket Club website.

 

Any club who would like to feature as our club of the week can get in touch at: francesca.herring@newsquest.co.uk