WOMEN'S CRICKET
Our vision is to become a local centre for women's and girls' cricket; to be the go-to place for women and girls to learn, participate in, compete in and enjoy the wonderful sport of cricket.
ABOUT US
The club is very focussed on the future of our Women's and Girls' teams. We aim to build on our very successful 2023 season with more training and match opportunities for all our female players in 2024. We play in the Sussex Slam (16 over matches) and also have some longer format matches planned this season. Additionally, we have a women’s softball cricket team playing regular league cricket.
We run three age group teams for our girls as well as our Women's teams which girls can be invited to play for. Further to our girls' age group teams, girls are able to join in with our mixed gender age group teams.
WHAT WE AIM TO ACHIEVE
The Club’s ambition is to grow strong and sustainable women’s and girl’s sections. As a club, we aim to optimise opportunities to play in both friendly matches and the local competitive female leagues and to provide a platform for female players to move on to higher levels, including county cricket. Our focus is to create an environment where the Junior section grows in both numbers and sporting ability. To achieve this would encourage Juniors to continue as active members of the club and play competitive cricket for the senior teams, both Women’s and Mixed.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
As much cricket as we can possibly fit in! Those who are already members or have visited our grounds will have seen what a beautiful setting we have for our training and matches. It really is a lovely place to spend time. For the 2023 season we have entered:
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Sussex Cricket Foundation Women's Softball League
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Sussex Cricket Foundation Women’s Slam
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Sussex Cricket Foundation U11 Softball
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Sussex Cricket Foundation U13 hardball
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Sussex Cricket Foundation U15 hardball
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We are also able to offer training and coaching. The women’s and girls' section will be supported by a professional coaches, Alan Smith and Tim van Noort, along with Women’s section lead Sarah Osborne and other qualified volunteer coaches.
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We have four training groups:
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Softball training for girls aged 5 through to 11 years old (Fridays)
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Softball training for women (Mondays)
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Hardball training for girls aged 11 to 13 years old (Mondays)
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Hardball training for women and girls​ aged 14+ (Mondays)
GIRLS' CRICKET
We run three age group teams for our girls as well as our Women's team which girls can be invited to play for. Further to our girls age group teams, girls are more than welcome to join in with our mixed age group teams. If your daughter is new to cricket, we can help with taster sessions, introductory coaching and more...
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
NEW TO THE GAME
If you're completely new to the sport then don't be afraid of getting in touch. We have members of all abilities and have options for everyone. We run taster sessions for women and girls of different ages, please ask for more information regarding these and when they will be taking place.
If you are just looking to have a bit of fun and a social, perhaps softball is for you. Maybe you want to try hardball cricket but you're a bit nervous, or you don't want to play games but just want to get involved with our practice sessions, then that's fine too! Our coaches are on hand to provide sessions and can offer 1-2-1 coaching if you'd like before moving onto anything more serious. We simply play cricket and we aim to have fun, we are not a professional team, so please don't be put off by our professional looking website (!).
Give it a go, you're more than welcome to try your hand and get involved. Please contact Sarah at sarahfosborne@hotmail.co.uk.
TASTER SESSIONS
If you're young and looking for a new sport, or are one of the 'lost generation' who always fancied giving cricket a go but have never had the opportunity. We welcome you to pop along to our sessions; to take part or just meet the team and have a chat.
Please get in contact to register your interest via sarahfosborne@hotmail.co.uk
MORE EXPERIENCED
For those who have played the game before, you're welcome to join our club and join in with our practice sessions and hardball cricket. We play T20 matches in the Sussex Slam. There is always room for more experience so please get in touch and come along to one of our training/practice sessions.
YOUNGER GIRLS
Girls of all ages are always welcome at WCTCC. We currently run two age group teams for our young girls as and further to these teams our girls are more than welcome to join in with our mixed age group teams ages 9 through to 18. In addition we run practice sessions for a very smallest girls and boys aged 5 and over, head to our junior section for more information on mixed gender cricket and our girls' cricket page for girls only cricket.
TRAINING & COACHING
WOMEN'S
Softball
Mondays, 6:30-8pm
This is a fun place to start if you've not played before but also for those with some experience looking to improve their fielding and to practice batting and bowling without the fuss of helmets and pads.
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Hardball
Mondays, 6:30-8pm
Run by a professional coach. The focus is on batting and bowling but with some fielding drills, and is open to all players aged 14+ (Year 9 upwards).
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Coaching
Our coaches are on hand should you need them. Feel free to get in contact and book in a session. Find out more at the foot of this page.
GIRLS'
Softball
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Ages 5 - 8 Mini-Mills girls. Click here for more info.
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Ages 9 to 11 as a girls only group. Click here for more information
Hardball
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Ages 11 - 13 within our U13 girls group, we provide hardball training and matches for all girls who are comfortable with the hardball game. For more information visit our girls cricket page
Girls will also have the option to train in the mixed gender age group training with the boys, available to all girls right the way through to senior cricket.
MEET THE TEAM
SARAH OSBORNE
WOMENS' SECTION LEAD
Sarah has been a volunteer coach for over 20 years, initially in her first loved sport of football. She took up helping at cricket 10 years ago achieving her Level 2 in 2015. Sarah started the girls section in 2013. She features regularly in the women’s team and, although by her own admittance not the best player, she is proof positive that you can take up a sport later in life and still love every minute of it.
SARAH OSBORNE
ALAN SMITH
ECB COACH
Previously Head Coach of Sussex Girls where he coached a variety of age groups from U14-U17 where his teams achieved some national success. Most recently Alan has been coaching the women's and girls' teams at Horsham CC and last year helped to start the development of the girls section at Wisborough Green CC. In addition Alan is also the Head Coach of Girls Cricket at Copthorne Prep School and is currently working for the ECB helping with the Development of an England Wheelchair Cricket team for both women and men.
ALAN SMITH
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TIM VAN NOORT
LEVEL 3 COACH
Tim is a highly qualified coach who obtained his ECB Level 3 coaching certificate in 2008. H has coached boys and girls of all ages for many years. He was Assistant Director of Cricket at Bede’s School and was instrumental in designing and delivering the boys and girls' programmes across both the Prep and Senior School. Tim started his own coaching academy in 2010 and it was during this time that he worked closely with “elite girls” cricket and went on to coach several of the Sussex Girls Pathway players some of whom have gone on to represent the County. He has most recently been involved with the “Sussex performance pathway” where he was Lead Coach of the Development Phase (U9-U12). For those of you who know Tim I am sure you will agree that his unique style of coaching is inspiring, always fun and never dull.
