Big Bash League project could unearth next cricket star

The return of Big Bash League cricket to northern NSW has clubs eyeing better pathways for grassroots cricketers. Here are the top three things they want to see next.

The glitz and glamour of a Big Bash League match isn’t enough for a region hungry for more grassroots support.

Far North Coast Cricket clubs want talent scouts, more female WBBL players and a bigger effort outside of summer if the league’s project in the Far North Coast is going to be a success.

More than 7000 cricket fans turned up to watch the Perth Scorchers beat the Sydney Sixers in Coffs Harbour on Sunday.

It came after almost 10,000 people packed the same ground for the Sixers first trip up north in January 2020.

It’s an indication that the Northern Rivers is willing to engage with the big league if it puts the effort in to engage with them.

The presidents of Pottsville, Tweed-Banora Colts and Casino Junior cricket clubs have a vision for the Far North Coast project.

They say the next big thing in men’s or women’s cricket could come out of the Northern Rivers if more resources are sunk into the region.

“There is a lot of hidden talents that don’t get noticed,” Pottsville president Luke Pryke said.

“We could have feeders come and watch our carnivals and have talent scouts watch our games, they are very popular, especially when they are attended by the players.”

He said there were plenty of pathways but if there were more clubs such as the Sixers coming to see what was available they would discover more talent, especially in the female ranks.

“We are pushing to get a lot of girls to get into cricket and girls cricket is flying, it’s bringing more girls into the game, they could take a (Women’s Big Bash League) game here,” he said

Casino Juniors president Mark Bratti considered himself more of a cynic.

He believes the junior game could recover from the Covid catastrophe if Cricket NSW gave them more attention outside of the summer Big Bash League season.

Mr Bratti said numbers for kids’ registrations at some local clubs had dwindled in the past two years and could use a shot in the arm with the help of the big league.

“Their hearts are in the right place but they probably missed the point from a regional perspective,” he said.

“In January our seasons are half over, teams are set and comps are set.

“We’ve had parents try to get their kids having a game of cricket now but that’s hard when you’ve got 12 in a team and its set months ago, now kids have to miss out.”

He said interaction needed to come in September and early October when clubs were signing players on.

“We would get much better traction rather than a time when teams are set, and then get an influx of kids wanting to play,” he said.

Tweed Banora Colts president Mark Wood said the club experienced a massive increase in interest from kids to play the game around Big Bash time.

Numbers are improving

Despite some clubs having trouble recruiting youngsters, Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon said his organisation was playing a long game and was confident numbers would improve.

He said there had been overall growth in junior cricket with a new U10s competition with eight teams in Lismore and a 10 per cent increase in Cricket Blast participants this year.

“All junior pathway carnivals now have a link to the Sixers in northern NSW which will continue into youth pathway carnivals where Sixers regional teams are involved,” Mr Germon said.

“The Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund grant program and Grassroot Cricket Fund are funded partly by contributions by Cricket Australia and have funded upgrades to facilities in the area.

“We have recently seen the Brisbane Heat and Sixers use some of these facilities as a training base during the current Covid-19 outbreak.”