Cricket Club Issue 49 | Page 60

Timperley FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/CRICKETCLUBMAG and opportunities for local interschool competitions. The Club is actively involved in the ECB All-stars programme for boys and girls aged from five to eight and are running junior teams in two local leagues and cups from U9 to U15. We try to talent spot early to ensure that talented players are recognised and developed but we also have a drive to provide playing opportunities for players of all abilities. “Helping junior players transition to senior cricket is an important aspect of building a sustainable club. Timperley has always prided ourselves as being a friendly and welcoming club for junior players and their parents which has close links between our junior and senior teams. We were one of the first clubs in the area to gain ECB Clubmark accreditation which we have retained to this day having gone through the most recent reaccreditation in 2018. Our selection policy is aimed at developing junior players and introducing them to senior cricket when they are capable of doing so. “Running five senior teams provides us with the opportunity to ease junior players transition into senior cricket at a level that suits them best. The lower teams are regarded as development teams providing a pathway for junior players to reach their full potential and ultimately play first team cricket or beyond. “Our first team captain is also our junior organiser so our juniors are well represented at our weekly selection meetings. Captains provide feedback on how junior players are progressing at the weekly selection meetings ensuring junior players continue to play at the most appropriate level as they develop and mature. A significant proportion of our 1st XI started their cricketing experience as Timperley Juniors. “We are a community club. Timperley CC is part of the wider multi-sports Timperley Sports Club. The Club are currently in the process of converting Timperley Sports Club into a Community Benefit Society the rules of which state: - 60 Issue 49 The objects of the Society shall be for the public benefit: a) The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of the inhabitants of Timperley and surrounding areas by the provision of facilities for playing cricket, football, hockey, lacrosse and other sports. b) Without distinction of age, sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life, health and wellbeing of the public. “Retention of playing strength is likely to be the biggest challenge moving forward. We have good numbers at present but with the nature of work as it is at the moment, we do not know from year to year how many lads will keep playing. Providing effective pathways to help our large junior section transition into senior cricket will be an important part of this “We would hope that as we consolidate our position in the Premiership, we would become a club to which players chose to gravitate towards if they wish to play at the highest club level or are moving to this area. “We would like to also restart Girls and Women’s Cricket at Timperley drawing from the synergies with the girls and ladies’ hockey Lacrosse and junior football sections with the broader Timperley Sports Club. We also aim to continue to develop our playing and off field facilities to enhance the overall member experience and provide a viable choice for the holding of more Finals days and representative Cheshire junior and minor Counties cricket matches.”