Cricket Scotland chair, Tony Brian and CEO, Malcolm Cannon, were invited on Sunday to a meeting organised by Aberdeen Cricket Association (Grades) and Aberdeenshire Cricket Club to discuss collaborative working to build the sport in the area.
The meeting, ahead of the Grades AGM was hosted by ACC at Mannofield and included the presidents of ACC and of Grades along with representatives from some of the other local clubs. Cricket has a successful, glorious and long-standing history in the Northeast but recently some clubs have encountered problems recruiting players, fielding teams and of thriving financially. These problems are due in no small part to the economic slow-down in the area and the fact that many schools no longer offering cricket as part of the main curriculum.
The president of Grades put forward his own thoughts about a more holistic way of growing the game with collaboration between clubs and a more shared, altruistic approach. This vision was very much shared by ACC and there was agreement that the newly proposed junior pathways would help provide a structured way forward for youth cricket in the region. There was also great excitement at the prospect of an Aberdeen women’s team being developed as this would allow clubs to work together as a region to improve the quality and profile of girls’ and women’s sport in the area.
Cricket Scotland is introducing a new member of its team in Aberdeen in the New Year and there is a great deal of optimism about what can be achieved with more collaborative working to improve the health of clubs, adopt a broad-brush mind-set and communicate better for the benefit of the game of cricket in the region.
