Big tick for work with women

HIGHLIGHT: Annissa Greenlees got a half-century and five wickets against Manawatu.

The icing on a rapidly expanding cake for women's cricket in the Wairarapa region - that is how the development and operations manager of Wairarapa Cricket, Simon Roseingrave, sees his New Zealand Cricket's Initiative in Women's Cricket Award.

Initiative in Women's Cricket is one of five major amateur categories judged each year and the six major associations nominate one club/school or individual from within their geographical boundaries. Central Districts decided Roseingrave was the most deserving from their eight member districts.

The news Roseingrave had won the award for his work in developing the women's game in Wairarapa came as a welcome surprise.

"It vindicates the efforts that have been put in over the last three years to really develop girls cricket in our province," Roseingrave said. "Not only have CD noted the good work, now New Zealand Cricket has as well, over and above the other five major first-class associations. Attending the NZ Cricket awards [in Auckland, last week] is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, particularly in a World Cup hosting year, and being able to soak up the vibe from such a successful team was fantastic."

Amateur cricket general manager Ed Shuttleworth said New Zealand Cricket thanked Roseingrave and the Wairarapa Cricket Association for their contribution to the women's game.

"To increase participation by 150 per cent and to develop representative teams is outstanding and we thank you for your hard work and commitment."

Most people no doubt think women's cricket is very much a minority sport, but within Wairarapa the numbers participating and succeeding could change this perception.

The Wairarapa JCB, which Roseingrave oversees, includes junior club and secondary school teams. There are 55 teams across all competitions of which 10 are girl-only sides. There are 523 registered junior cricketers and 30 per cent (153) of these are girls.

"The structure for females in our game continues to grow, and this has all come about through strategic planning and hard work." Roseingrave says. "There are more coaches becoming involved in the girls game, and more players wanting to participate in our expanding representative structure."

In 2014/15, Wairarapa has been able to field two female representative sides, the under-15 girls and development girls teams, where Roseingrave has received able assistance from coach Nick Glennie. The Wairarapa under-15 side competed with distinction against Central Districts and Wellington. A fifth placing at the CD selection tournament had wins over Manawatu and Wellington opposition, and more wins against Hutt Districts and Manawatu (again) completed the season.

Coupled with two close losses to Hawke's Bay - off the last ball in a 20/20 game at the CD tournament and by four runs in a post-Christmas fixture in Hastings - the season can only be termed a success. Individual highlights included Annissa Greenlees completing a 50-run, five-wicket double versus Manawatu at Queen Elizabeth park oval.

The development girls team is made up of cricketers Year 8 and below, who compete on a Saturday morning against JCB boys club sides, and dipped their toes in the water with representative fixtures against Hutt Districts and Wellington under-13, for a win and a loss respectively.

At the moment, Wairarapa also has three girls playing at the first-class level: Elizabeth Perry (who is also a past White Fern) with the Wellington Blaze, and Melissa Hansen and Anlo van Deventer with the Central Districts Hinds.

"These players have made their way to the top through hard work and ability. They also did this before we really had any significant development structures in place specifically for women's cricket," says Roseingrave.

Looking to the future, Roseingrave hopes the girls game will continue to grow in schools. Masterton Intermediate and St Mary's (Carterton) have expressed an interest in participating in the National Active Post Shield competition, while a new second XI hardball competition for colleges, complementing the existing first XI girls teams, has been mooted.

Wairarapa will also be fielding three girls representative sides in the 2015/16 season. The under-15 and Development Girls teams will continue with their progress, while a new secondary schoolgirls side will be competing against CD opposition in a national tournament to be held in Whanganui in January.

Roseingrave said next season Wairarapa would be the only province of the eight in Central Districts capable of fielding three distinct junior girl representative sides and, this season, only Wellington and the Hutt were able to field under-15 development teams against Wairarapa at the same time.

"When you consider our population base, it is something that Wairarapa Cricket, and Wairarapa in general, can be proud of."