With the ICC T20 World Cup win at their backs, the Barbados Cricket Association is capitalising on the momentum of the women’s achievement and has since launched an outreach programme which has seen national coaches going after new players at the grassroots level.

In an effort to widen the reach of the sport and also to ensure its sustainability in the future, the BCA is currently running weekly coaching sessions at the Hindsbury Primary school, one of only two all-girl primary schools.

During yesterday’s session, the girls got a bit of inspiration to stick with the sport as they got a chance to rub shoulders with Shaquana Quintyne and Hayley Matthews, two of the Barbadian players on the championship West Indies Women team.

With coach Richard Clarke presiding over the proceedings, the pair assisted in the running of the drills and gave words of encouragement to the youngsters. Speaking to members of the media Chairman of Women’s Cricket at the BCA Hartley Reid explained that right now we have stars but that they could not keep that status forever and thus the BCA set out to find and nurture the potential of the young players.

Noting that the current group was weeded down to 26 from an original 60 when the programme began last month, Reid added that any other schools that wished to have similar programmes could contact the association.

“We have to fill all the facets of cricket – the wicket-keepers, bowlers and batters and Hindsbury has been very receptive. If we can get three or four good ones here at this early stage, we would have benefited and we would have won.

And hopefully, the other schools, both junior and secondary schools as we are hoping to get more girls to strengthen our rank and boost Barbados cricket. I don’t think that we are boasting but when Barbados cricket is strong, West Indies cricket is strong,” he said.

(Taken from windiescricket.com)