Lilleshall Cricket Club 

Lilleshall Juniors

Practice

We run three junior teams at under 11, under 13 and under 16.  Under 11s and 13s practice is on Monday nights at Lilleshall and u15s practice on a Tuesday (which allows more space on the ground).

What Do We Do At Practice?

Practice starts at 6:45pm and all players must sign in before going on to the field.  We aim to fnish by 8:15pm although we may need a little additional time to arrange team selection.  Practice will usually start with any one of a number of warm up exercises that incorporate a cricketing skill (such as catching, target bowling and fielding).  We will then follow a preset coaching plan that covers all aspects of the game.  We will make reference to the Juniors Handbook as we progress through the season and may ask juniors to read up on certain skills for the following week.

Practice will include the use of hard cricket balls and practice windballs depending upon the activity, we will also allow time for short timed games (such as kwik cricket), match practice and some net practice where appropriate.  Children are encouraged to try new skills, participate fully and ask questions.  Full details on the code of conduct, coaching policy and expected behaviours are published in the Junior Handbook.  A copy of this will be provided to each junior member on registration and payment.

Team Selection

Obviously we have more juniors than we do places in the team.  That inevitably means that your child will not play in every game in a season. We try to be fair in our selection policy and we will ensure that every junior that wants to will represent the club at least once during the season (weather permitting) and usually many more times than this.  Some of our younger juniors may not be ready for selection to play in a match in our opinion in their first season with us and, if that is the case, we will tell you.  If a junior member does not wish to play competitive cricket then there is no compulsion to do so, but we would encourage all juniors to play a match if and when they are selected; subject to their availability.

Cancellations Due To Bad Weather

As we know all too well, poor weather can play havoc with the fixtures!  When poor weather forces us to change our plans this website will be the primary means of letting you know about any changes to either coaching or match nights.  It is important therefore that you check it for the latest information as we will not routinely send SMS and email messages to advise of cancellations; unless this is a last minute decision (in which case we will use every means at our disposal to let you know).  However, when we know some time in advance that we will have to cancel training or a match, it makes far more sense to update eveyone via the website in one hit where we can and we will post details under Notices on the home page.

Matches

Under 11 and 13 matches are on Wednesdays and alternate between home and away; under 16 games are played on Sunday afternoons - see individual junior pages for the 2008 fixtures.  We are happy for parents to transport children direct to games but please let one of the coaches know if you are intending to do this and make sure you know where the venue is.  Directions to away venues will be posted on the website.  If you are able to provide lifts for other players - please speak to Colin Wetherley-Mein at the club as there is a declaration you need to complete to comply with ECB rules on this which will be included with the juniors registration form. 

Spectating At Matches

Watching junior cricket can be an extremely pleasant way to spend a warm Summer morning, afternoon or evening, especially when your child is representing the club.  They will appreciate your support and we think you will be impressed at how well they perform as individuals and as a team.  They may not always win but they always give 100 per cent effort and we are very proud of our junior players; we hope you will be too.

Parents are always welcome to spectate at matches but there a few do's and don'ts we would ask you to observe:

DO:

  • Be sure not obscure the view of official scorers
  • Park vehicles in designated areas - if in doubt ASK
  • Speak to a club official before using video or photographic equipment
  • Encourage your children appropriately
  • Show good sportsmanship by applauding the opposition as well as your own side

DON'T

  • Shout instructions or behave in such a way as to distract players and officials or use profane language
  • Use camera equipment without permission
  • Question or challenge the decisions of umpires - save it for football matches
  • Be partisan - always show respect for the opposition

Protecting children is the reponsibility of us all, please consider this when watching matches and enjoy the game in the spirit in which cricket is meant to be played.  Children rarely perform at their best when they feel under pressure by their parents, we like to win our matches but not at any price - it is important to us that our juniors enjoy playing cricket at Lilleshall.

Juniors Sign on Form

Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting junior registrations for 2008 as we have reached our maximum capacity at u11 and u13.  Please come back and see us in 2009 if you are interested in playing for the club.

Juniors Score Sheet

The official form for scoring junior games can be downloaded here.

This alternate version is also available.