Primary schoolchildren in Yorkshire are being encouraged to take part in the Drax Cup 2008, the only cricket competition in the county for teams under the age of nine.
The inaugural Drax Cup, launched last year, attracted 86 entries with four teams representing North, East, West and South Yorkshire winning through to the finals which were played at Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds.
The competition is sponsored by Drax Power Limited and organised by The Yorkshire County Cricket Club in conjunction with The Yorkshire Cricket Board and The Yorkshire Schools’ Cricket Association.
This year organisers hope to treble the number of schools entering by including a new format of ‘cluster festivals’ where groups of schools play mini-tournaments rather than a straightforward knock-out competition. Children will also have the opportunity to develop their skills with the ‘FUNdamental Cricket Skill’ stations and compare their results with other schools across Yorkshire.
Dorothy Thompson, chief executive of Drax Power, said: “The Drax Cup is an important element of our Cricket In The Community initiative which combines youth sport and education and is proving extremely popular in primary schools.
“We’re expecting another thrilling tournament and this year we are introducing elements which support children in developing literacy and numeracy skills by encouraging them to write match reports to be read out in school and assist in scoring during the cluster festivals.”
Stewart Regan, chief executive of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “Last year’s competition showed how popular the game is across Yorkshire and revealed true potential amongst the youngsters enjoying their first experience of cricket.
“We’re delighted that Drax is continuing its sponsorship and by doing so encouraging children to develop their interest in the game,” he added.
Schools must be entered in the competition by the end of February, with the first cluster festivals due to take place after Easter. The finals will be staged at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on 26 June 2008.
