CRICKET Ireland are in line for a financial windfall if, as expected, the international team are promoted to Full Membership at next week’s meeting of the International Cricket Council — and that could be a particular boon for women’s cricket here.

While a large slice of the new cake is certain to go to the men’s team as they move up to Test status, there will be a pathway for the women’s team on the international stage and the provincial unions will be key.

The Ireland team is currently made up exclusively from players in the Leinster union but both the NCU and North West are keen for that to change.

One level down — the Super 3s tournament — there are already seven Northern Ireland players involved with Julie Logue and Jemma Rankin from the North West playing for the Scorchers alongside the NCU’s best player Cara Murray, while Alana Dalzell (North West) and Amy Hunter (NCU) are in the Dragons squad and the NCU’s Natasha Morton and Amy Benson will be lining out for the Typhoons.

The tournament was due to start two weeks ago at Wallace Park but, because of the number of players sitting exams, that game was rescheduled.

Today, the Scorchers face the Typhoons in Pembroke but the best of the rest in the North West and NCU are in opposition in the first inter-pro of the season at Ballymagorry (noon).

They may not be pushing for international honours just yet but the interest is undoubtedly there, with up to 20 girls attending the weekly training sessions in the North West for Under-13s upwards, while the NCU have had to split their sessions into Under-15s and Under-17s one Wednesday and the Ladies team on alternate weeks.

The NCU’s cricket development officer Callum Atkinson is one of six coaches looking after the various teams.

“Alex Haggan is our head coach but we also have Robin Johnston, Sandi Harrison, Kyle Weir and Kris Elliott on the coaching team and although we are not up to Leinster’s standard yet we are hoping to arrange games against a strong Leinster club side or Leinster A for the senior team, as well as a return game against the North West, probably in July,” says Atkinson.

“All the players are hugely enthusiastic and looking for opportunities. It’s the NCU’s aspiration to have a team in what would be the Super 4s, or whatever they want to call it, by 2019 and we feel that is realistic and will allow Cara, Amy and Natasha to stay at home.

“At the moment all their training sessions are in Dublin, as are all but a couple of the Super 3 games.”
The North West are slightly ahead of the NCU in women’s cricket — their eight-team league is well established while the NCU are still on the up, with three teams joining last year and competing in a second division, to complement the six-team first division.

“We have no problem attracting the Year 8s to cricket — indeed it’s easier than getting boys at that age,” says the North West’s Women’s co-ordinator Brian Allen.

“While most of our senior team is young, we have the experienced Julie Logue and Angie Porter.”

For everyone in women’s cricket, opportunity knocks.