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North East Cheshire Cricket Club are the latest club to enter into a partnership with Her Game Too Cricket.
Established in 2019, NECCC was formed when neighbouring clubs, Poynton CC and Disley CC voted to combine their resources to solidify the cricket offering in their area. With this merger, they had a mission to provide cricket for the Cheshire/SE Manchester/Derbyshire area around the two towns.
With Poynton CC as their primary site, North East Cheshire CC offers a wide range of cricket across their locations including senior, junior and ladies cricket which is available to all ages and abilities.
Across the county, we have seen huge growth within Women’s cricket, and Cheshire boasts one of the strongest set ups. At NECCC, their female presence across all aspects of the club play a significant role as a quarter (25%) of their membership is female, growing year on year.
Playing opportunities for Women and Girls at the club span across both Softball and Hardball cricket, as well as catering to different abilities and ages.
Women at the club were offered the opportunity to compete in the Cheshire Women’s Cricket League’s (CWCL) soft ball division and local social “Prosecco Festivals”.
“Softball cricket is fun, inclusive and easily accessible - not forgetting the social “Prosecco Festivals” that are often of interest!”
Following an increased appetite for hardball cricket, 2023 saw the club present their Women’s players with the chance to play in a Hardball League.
“The hardball game is a step up but can be just as fun. Our senior players are all fairly new to cricket and enjoy the mix of learning new skills, team camaraderie and enjoyment of the game.”
Playing alongside their male peers, young girls at the club are also provided the opportunities to be a part of several girls teams. In Softball cricket, NECCC field teams at U11 and U13 level, as well as Hardball teams for U13s and U15s. Many of these players are on the “Cheshire Pathway”, playing at County and District level.
For the upcoming summer, North East Cheshire CC will, yet again, be fielding two teams: Women’s Hardball (Sunday) and Women’s Softball (mid-week). Players at the club are encouraged to participate in whichever format they feel most comfortable, with the club’s approach being “to have fun whilst playing”. Recognising that cricket is much more than the skills on the field, NECCC wants “to ensure that people want to keep coming back for more because they enjoy the team camaraderie as well as the game”.
Outside of playing, the club presents opportunities for Women to get involved in their management structure.
In 2023, NECCC has three female ECB-qualified coaches and, in 2024, they are aspiring to double that. With the support of the club’s senior players, the female coaches will be focussing on Mini Jets, the Girls’ and the Womens’ teams as they aim to increase the presence of women and girls across all areas of NECCC.
Several positions on the club’s Exec/Committee are held by women; Club Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Membership Secretary, Junior Membership Secretary, Safeguarding Officers (x2), Women’s Lead – as well as the Women’s teams’ Captains and Vice-Captains.
Looking into the future, North East Cheshire Cricket Club are seeking to expand their Women and Girls’ offerings and adapt their current set up to best serve their community’s needs.
The club are welcoming to anyone wanting to throw themselves into the sport, supporting each player and member in any direction they wish.
In NECCC’s drive to push the Women and Girls’ game, the club have been eager to enter into a partnership with Her Game Too Cricket.
The campaign are delighted to be bringing North East Cheshire Cricket Club onto our growing list of partners as part of our continued work to fight against sexism and misogyny within the game.
Heather Mukherjee, Women’s Lead at NECCC, said: “As a club, we feel the partnership with Her Game Too is a very positive move that sends out a clear message that women and girls are very welcome at our club.
We are committed to removing barriers to women and girls' participation both on and off the field and are dedicated to being inclusive, aiming to ensure our club provides a welcoming environment for all our members.
HGT is a terrific campaign I have followed for a while, and I would encourage more clubs to get behind it."
Paige Caunce, Director of Cricket at Her Game Too, said: “I’d like to express the campaign’s gratitude towards NECCC for partnering with Her Game Too Cricket and pledging their support.
The club’s enthusiasm for the Women and Girls’ game is infectious and we are excited to begin working together. The work that NECCC and their community have been doing within the game has enabled more women and girls to participate in the game and we hope that we can build on this and grow the sport even further.
This partnership presents Her Game Too Cricket with the opportunity to spread our message across Cheshire that cricket is truly a game for all.”
Learn more about North East Cheshire Cricket Club here: www.neccc.co.uk
@JetsCricket