Walsall cricketers bowled over by sponsor deal
Walsall Cricket Club's trailblazing girls' team have received some much-welcome funding to boost the 'quality and quantity' of their coaching.
The club, formed in 1812, launched their first-ever girls' side last year and will now be able to purchase more kit and equipment after being sponsored by housebuilder Cameron Homes.
They played their first competitive matches together in 2021 and are in the process of contacting other clubs across the Black Country and Staffordshire to organise further fixtures.
Amish Dudhia, Walsall's chairman of sponsorship, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Cameron Homes has chosen to sponsor our girls’ team. Not only are they supporting cricket, they are giving women’s sport a real boost in the area.
“I am so proud of how this team has developed and this funding will really make a difference to the quality and quantity of coaching we are able to provide them with this year.”
The girls' team are coached by Nick Bryers and the support from Cameron Homes comes after a £500 cash injection from Costa Coffee earlier this year.
Walsall's chairman of cricket, Naveen Kapur said: "This is the culmination of two years’ worth of work from the whole team and more specifically the junior committee and is part of the long-term development of female cricket at Walsall Cricket Club.
"There isn't enough provision and awareness for girls’ cricket, it's very underplayed and underfunded and until now, most girls in our community just haven’t had the opportunity to experience cricket.
"Historically, we would have a couple of girls who would come along to training but there wasn’t a specific training group for them. So, we decided to bring our own daughters along and it snowballed from there. Our aim is for the female teams to keep on growing until we see as many girls playing cricket as boys.”
Ian Burns, CEO of Cameron Homes, added: “It is extremely important to us that we are actively involved with the local communities in which we build our homes, and it is an honour to be able to support Walsall Cricket Club’s Girls Team this season.
“Breaking down barriers is one of our key values and we are looking forward to seeing Walsall Cricket Club’s Girls Team go from strength to strength as they embark on this exciting new period in the club’s history. We wish them all the best for a successful season.”
