A nationwide New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association initiative called Hooked on Cricket that introduces cricket to non-traditional cricket communities came to Christchurch yesterday.
Eight school teams from around the city headed to Garrick Park in Woolston to participate in a fun filled cricket tournament and coaching day with members of the NZCPA and Canterbury Wizards.
The Hooked on Cricket initiative is aimed at lower decile schools with the goal of encouraging children who may not have exposure to the sport to participate.
The one-day tournament is the second component to the initiative. NZCPA coaching staff first head into the schools to run coaching sessions before getting the local teams together for a enjoyable but competitive tournament.
Former player Kerry Walmsley oversees the initiative and said the idea was the brain child of the players. “Players wanted to give something back directly to the community and Hooked on Cricket was that idea,” he said. “We wanted to go to low decile schools around the country and encourage the students to get involved with the sport.”
The initiative, which is in its fifth year, also involves local domestic players. The Canterbury Wizards were part of the tournament and were allocated a team to support. Wizards top order batsman Michael Papps was with the Waltham team and said his team got stuck in and had a great time. “We wanted to give something back to the community. We wanted to give kids the opportunity to play for their club or school,” he said. “They love it and are very enthusiastic.
“These kids haven’t had a lot of exposure to cricket but there is a lot of natural talent out there and it’s good to see the kids taking to the game naturally.”
Waltham Primary School captain nine year old Cheyenne Ranga-Pokere said she had a wonderful time batting, bowling and fielding. “We love it. I think it’s really awesome, and it’s cool to have the Wizards come and support us,” she said. “I want to be a White Fern one day.”
Teachers and parents also came along to the day to support the children. Linwood Avenue Primary School Deputy Principal Trevor Proctor was at the ground cheering on his side. He said the Hooked on Cricket initiative has encouraged his pupils to get out and try something new and it’s great to see all the children smiling and enjoying themselves. “It’s a good chance for the children to explore a new sport and it’s competitive but fun at the same time,” he said. “You just have to look at the smiles on their faces. Some of our pupils don’t get the opportunity to play Saturday sport, so something like Hooked on Cricket is extremely worth while.”
