Curtain Comes Down on "Chance to Shine" State Schools Cricket 2007
Steve Harmison with Wansbeck Cricket Coach Ian Stewart and participants
The final Chance 2 Shine Holiday Cricket Coaching week of 2007 finished last week at Ashington Cricket Club.
The club which is enjoying a successful season on the park in youth, men’s and women’s competitions is part of Chance 2 Shine, a nationwide programme designed to bring cricket back to state schools where it has not been played for years and strengthen it in schools were it already exists.
A staggering 300 hours of curriculum and after school sessions took place from Easter until the end of the school year in July at 5 middle schools which were: Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Seaton Hirst Church of England, St Benedicts’ RC, Hirst Park and Bothal School.
Ashington Cricket Club this year had the benefit of a full-time professional coach, Iain Stewart, 23, a former Scottish Junior International and a highly qualified ECB coach who has played in Australia and coached professionally for Lincolnshire minor county and on the North Island of New Zealand.
Chance 2 Shine is sponsored by Allianz Insurance and Peter Evans of the company handed out Skills Awards to the youngsters on the final day of the 3 weeks of holiday coaching.
Peter said of the work done in Ashington: “It is superb to see all the youngsters having been coached in school taking up the opportunity to improve their skills on the Chance 2 Shine holiday courses, it is a great way for them to spend their holiday.”
The boys and girls week was made by the appearance of local hero, the Ashington Express himself, Steve Harmison. Despite having a tight schedule that saw him having to dash to the Test Match ground at Chester-Le-Street for further rehab following his hernia operation last month, he took part in Iain’s now famous ‘clockwork catching drill’ a favourite with the youngsters. Steve apologised he could not stay to watch the 2 innings ‘test’ the youngsters then set about playing. It was played to Test match rules and a follow-on was almost enforced by one of the teams.
The North of England Regional Manager of Chance 2 Shine Jim Love singled out Ashington for praise, saying the club “should be very happy with the way the program has been run this year” and added that he felt it was a shame so many inter-schools games were lost in 2007 due to weather.
Northumberland Cricket Board’s Ian Wardle was also full of praise. He said: “This year has seen just under 700 children receive quality coaching from Iain, all because of the ECB Chance 2 Shine initiative.”
Simon Storey of the Colliers is positive about 2008: “Next season we are guaranteed another 300 plus hours of schools coaching occurring locally, which is excellent news for the club.”
The club, Chance 2 Shine and Wansbeck Council Sports Development team hope to introduce a Year 8 twenty/20 Hardball League which would take place between 4 of the 5 Chance 2 Shine Schools next year to compliment the ASDA Year 5&6 Kwik-Cricket Championships and the Year 7 NatWest Bank Inter-Cricket Championships.
For further information go to the Chance to Shine website or telephone Wansbeck Council Sports Development on 01670 843243 or Northumberland Cricket Board on 0191 274 1528.
