Western Storm announced today selections for their Emerging Player Programme (EPP) with eight of the 36 players coming from Wales.
Welsh players Mariam Sahandeen, Tess Jackson, Eve Jackson, Sophie Williams, Cerys Griffiths, Emma Brazier, Niamh Mansel and Emily Janas were all picked for the inaugural Regional EPP.
To be eligible for the EPP, players from across Wales, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Devon were nominated and put through their paces at a series of observations with a number of different coaches from across the Women and Girls’ Pathway in the region.
The EPP will involve weekly hub sessions, group sessions as well as some outdoor training sessions and match-play opportunities in the summer months.
The weekly hub sessions will take place at a number of different venues across the region, with sessions taking place at Seat Unique County Ground (Gloucestershire), University of Exeter (Devon), Sophia Gardens & Neath Cricket Club (Wales), Millfield School (Somerset) and Truro and Penwith College (Cornwall) across the winter.
Those players that have been selected for the EPP will receive a range of support services including, Cricket Development, Sports Psychology and a Strength and Conditioning Programme.
Jack Bradbury “The nature of the observation process shows the exciting level of cricket within the Western Storm region. The 36 selected players were part of an extensive observation process and we feel we have selected an exciting group of players moving forward in to the winter.”
“The Emerging Player Programme is a further development in the new age of Women’s Cricket in this country. It provides the best players in County Age Cricket the opportunity to be part of a regional programme and to develop under different coaches in the region with more access to provision that can help them to develop towards the dream of being a professional cricketer.
“The introduction of this level of programme promises so much excitement, as we will see more players getting more access to coaching more regularly which can only improve the level of cricket within Regional programmes, but also in County Age Group Cricket.
“I am really excited to get this programme up and running across the region to continue our close work with our fantastic counties and keep cricket moving forward in the region.”