Cricket: Coaches to help young cricketers

Graeme Whiles (left) will be giving coaching lessons to Dominic Kyle-McIlroy, 10, Riddick Kyle-McIlroy, 8, Ryan Pedley, and Xander Kyle-McIlroy, 5. Photo / Ben Fraser

Two coaches from Britain have been tasked with helping to revive cricket in Rotorua.

Rotorua Junior Cricket chairman Steve Pittman said two full-time coaches had recently been appointed to help boost the sport in the city.

He said, that sadly, there were no high schools in Rotorua with a 1st XI cricket team and the sport was in desperate need of a boost.

"At the moment, we don't have any 1st XIs. None.

"That is one of the reasons why we've taken the initiative to hire two coaches, Ryan Pedley and Graeme Whiles from the UK. They are playing for Central Cricket Club this season and they are employed to run a couple of programmes in the schools and with our juniors.

"This is a new initiative because we are realising that we don't have players with sufficient skills to carry on in the game, so we are trying to equip them so they can carry on into the higher grades and enjoy their cricket."

Pittman said a new programme they were running this year, with Pedley and Whiles, was a free cricket awareness programme in Rotorua schools.

Pittman said they were asking schools to put their names down for the coaches to come in and hold a session at their school.

If interested, email info@rotoruacricket.co.nz or call Ryan Pedley on 022 199 5455.

Pittman said their overall aim was to support junior cricket, which would have a flow-on effect in years to come.

The junior cricket season begins this weekend in Rotorua and two muster days are being held at Smallbone Park on Devon St tomorrow (for Year 7-11 students) and Thursday (for primary school children) from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

The muster days will include a sausage sizzle and some informal cricket games, along with information about the season.

Young players are encouraged to play for their school teams but can also be placed into a side if their school does not have enough players. Any inquiries can be made at info@rotoruacricket.co.nz.

Pittman thanked First Sovereign Trust and Southern Trust for their generous support in funding two coaches this season.

Some high schools in Rotorua will field a 1st XI team in the one-off Gillette Cup but no schools have a 1st XI playing in a weekly competition.