Cricket: Knights players take their skills to school

BOP cricket coach Sean Davey with young cricketers at Otumoetai Primary School.

The emergence of spring from the depths of winter has heralded a busy time for Western Bay of Plenty Cricket, as preparations begin for another hectic season.

Western Bay Cricket is delivering the NZ Cricket Cricket Awareness programme at local primary schools.

The Cricket Awareness programme is designed to generate interest in the New Zealand Post Superstar Cricket Academy (previously Have-A-Go Cricket).

Two well-credentialled senior players are delivering the WBOPCA introduction programme to more than 4000 primary pupils from Pongakawa to Katikati, in terms three and four of the school year.

Sean Davey, who represented New Zealand at the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia, and Rebecca Yee, who moved to the Western Bay from Auckland last year and made a significant contribution with the bat to the Bay of Plenty women's team, are taking the sessions.

Today, six Northern Knights players - captain Daniel Flynn, Jono Boult, Joe Carter, Bharat Popli, Brett Hampton and former Black Cap Dean Brownlie - will visit Western Bay of Plenty schools.

Western Bay of Plenty Cricket administrator Don Warner is taking entries for the WBOPCA junior cricket and secondary schools competitions. Early indications are record numbers for Saturday morning junior cricket, with the WBOPCA Secondary Schools competition looking to expand from three to four divisions of schools cricket.