Cricket: White Ferns give lessons at schools

Shavawn Walker, 10, hits the ball with White Ferns player Morna Nielsen watching during a skills session at Gate Pa School yesterday. Photo / John Borren

The White Ferns promoted next week's three one-day internationals against England at Bay Oval with visits to four Western Bay primary schools, yesterday.

Otago spinner Morna Nielsen and Auckland allrounder Holly Huddleston ran some skills sessions with an enthusiastic group of young girls at Gate Pa School.

Tauranga-born Nielsen was impressed with the high level of talent on display.

"Whatever programmes are going on at this school, these girls are really talented," she said.

"They can all catch, bowl and bat. It bodes well for the future of women's cricket and hopefully we can keep the girls engaged and get them through to higher levels. I love coming to schools and seeing girls playing and just enjoying their cricket."

Gate Pa School principal Richard Inder said cricket was on a high and the students had benefited from programmes run by Sport Bay of Plenty. "They organise district-wide activities and events for the kids and also coaches coming into the school, so even if you didn't have the personnel on your own staff there is no reason why the kids could not be involved.

"We have a core of girls who play and some of them keep the boys pretty honest in the lunchtime games."

Mr Inder said having the White Ferns running skills sessions with the girls not only raised awareness for the games coming up at Bay Oval but the players were good role models.

"It also builds awareness of where they started. They must have been this age group at one period of their life and then on to the next steps and the next steps."

Nielsen said it was important for the White Ferns to win against England as the games were part of the International Women's Championship.

"Over the next three years we have to play each country in three ODIs and the top four teams qualify for the one-day World Cup. So it is quite important we end up in that top four to qualify. We went to the West Indies in November and lost all three games so we need to make sure we get a couple of wins on the board against England."

*The White Ferns play England on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at Bay Oval. Games start at 10.30am with free entry. The ACTIVEPOST Family Day is on Monday from 4.30pm-6.30pm at Bay Oval. It is a chance for people to meet the White Ferns for autographs, skills and a barbecue.