A Greater Hunter Coast (GHC) women's cricket club has been admitted to the NSW Premier competition in a move Newcastle District Cricket Association (NDCA) chairman Paul Marjoribanks says completes a pathway for females from junior level to the elite ranks.
Confirmation was received on Wednesday night that a Newcastle-based GHC colts (under 18) side would play in the Brewers Shield this summer with first and second-grade teams also entering the Sydney competition in 2023-24.
The club will draw on players from Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast and continues the efforts of Cricket NSW to grow the female game.
"It's tremendous news," Marjoribanks said. "It really was just the missing link in the pathway.
"Now, as with other sports, you can go to school in Newcastle, get a job in Newcastle and continue playing your cricket living out of Newcastle and not have to connect to a Sydney club or live down there or do the constant travel.
"This opportunity is obviously going to keep more people in the game because that travel is wearing after a while, and also for the young players to come through and stay as a team. It's great for this batch and the next batch coming through."
It was a sentiment echoed by Wallsend product Leah Poulton, who plied her trade in Newcastle before going on to play for NSW and Australia and is now Head of Female Elite Cricket with Cricket NSW.
"When Newcastle-Central Coast approached us for the idea, we were really supportive of making sure there was an avenue for talented girls in the area to take the next step in their career," Poulton told the Newcastle Herald.
"My journey into cricket was that I started playing junior cricket in Newcastle. There was a local competition for girls which was just fantastic and was quite before its time.
"But then you come to a certain age and a certain ability and you consider what's next, and for most young girls that is going to Sydney to play and joining a Sydney team. But there's lots of challenges around that. This removes some of those barriers that girls in regional areas face."
Valentine 15-year-old Lucy Pearce has been named captain of the first GHC colts team, which will open their campaign on October 9.
"It's very exciting and it definitely makes things a lot easier, especially for dad and mum who have to drive," Pearce said.
"I've played with a lot of the players and the team is definitely looking strong.
"Hopefully we can make finals. That would be very good. But we'll see how the team all connects together."
Newcastle will offer a full pathway of junior cricket for girls this summer, including Blasters Smash (five to 10 years), Stage 1 (under 12), Stage 2 (under 14) and Stage 3 (under 14 to under 18) competition.
Senior women's cricket in Newcastle will also grow this year with the NDCA women's T20 midweek competition expanding from nine teams to 14 across two divisions.
