Cowdrey Cricket Club have picked up an ECB & Kent CCC Grassroots award in recognition of their efforts in developing women’s cricket.

Members of the club’s coaching team and junior committee attended the recent awards ceremony at The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury. Cowdrey were the winners of the 2021 Inspired to Play award “for the phenomenal growth of girls cricket this summer”.

It was the most successful year in the Tonbridge-based club’s history for junior cricket.

The junior section has gone from strength to strength and in May launched a now-thriving girls’ section. Since the launch, Cowdrey have more than 30 girls training on Mondays.

In July, a squad of 18 Cowdrey girls played their first matches against local rivals Tonbridge CC Girls and the club also entered two teams into the Kent under-11 softball festival at Marden.

During the summer holidays, Cowdrey coaches ran training sessions that a number of the girls attended to play hardball alongside the boys.

Throughout August a number of inter-club matches based on The Hundred format were run for girls and boys in the various age group squads.

The end of Cowdrey’s junior season culminated in a junior presentation day that included an inter-club tournament, parents versus colts matches and the end-of-season presentations for each squad (girls, under-9, under-11, under-13 & under-15). David Hathrill, the Kent women’s coach, attended to help present the awards and give a coaching masterclass to the girl’s squad.

The Cowdrey under-11 and under-13 sides also celebrated winning the Invicta Junior Cricket under-11 Championship and under-13 Tunbridge Wells Division 1 titles, making this the most successful year in the club’s history for junior cricket.

Cowdrey are looking to run winter nets for all junior squads, at Somerhill School, their partners in launching the girls’ squad this year. There will be more regular matches for the girls locally and by participating in more competitive festivals and tournaments.

The club are also starting a women’s softball cricket side in 2022 - after a number of mums expressed an interest. This will be further enhanced with the club securing the services of Kent under-13 girls’ coach, Remi Chea. For more information email juniors@cowdreycc.co.uk or see social media.