Women's academy builds confidence

The tower of Fettes College, half mock-Scottish Baronial, half Victorian railway station, provided a picturesque background for an enthusiastic group of young cricketers, participants in the first European Women's Academy held in Edinburgh during the second week of August.

Organised by Cricket Scotland and sponsored by Lloyds TSB Scotland, the Academy brought together eleven girls from Scotland and six from each of Ireland and The Netherlands. Led by Scotland's Steve Seligmann, a team of coaches which included former England captain Jane Powell and ex-England international Kate Lowe put the players through an intensive week-long programme.

For ICC European Development Officer Philip Hudson, the week provided the girls with an unparalleled opportunity to think about and understand their cricket better. "They're talented players," he says, "but they need more intensive coaching than they are generally able to receive in their own countries. We have placed a lot of emphasis on attitudes, on being positive about their own game and on thinking about their place as individuals within the team."

Video analysis, which most of the participants had never encountered before, was employed to help the girls work on their own game and review opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Dutch allrounder Lotte Egging was enthusiastic about the whole experience. "It's a great group," she said, "and the coaches have done a fantastic job. We've learned a lot about tactics in the field, about anticipation and about how other players perform."

She found the scenario exercises particularly helpful, as they made the players focus on what is important in a particular match situation. "And we know it's practice, so we can make mistakes and learn from them without the pressure of being in a match. I knew that the mental thing was important, but now I can really see why."

One feature of the week was a session with Scottish national coach Peter Drinnen, who talked about tactics. But there was also a good deal of emphasis on skills, with sessions on playing both seam and spin, and discussion of the importance of fitness. The girls also had two mornings of pilates work.

Suzanne Kenealy, an Ireland international who was managing her country's contingent, saw the Academy as useful at many different levels. As assistant coach to the Irish under-21 side, she had learned a great deal from the coaches as well, and thought that although the girls had found the experience tiring, they had continued to work hard.

Kenealy also found the presence of Powell and Lowe a crucial factor, since they functioned as role models for the young cricketers. "Hearing Jane talk about her experience at the World Cup was very important," she said, "especially since these girls are hoping to get to the World Cup themselves. And her emphasis on the fitness demands of the modern game was enormously valuable."

Scotland's initiative is part of a larger development plan, according to the Academy manager Steve Seligmann. Cricket Scotland is currently placing great emphasis on fostering women's cricket, building on a significant increase in the number of women playing the sport. "We want to improve the girls' skill levels, but it's more important that we increase their confidence. We want to make it possible for them to perform as well as they are capable of doing."

From the evidence of the match which was one of the Academy's culminating events, the coaches had been pretty successful. Two mixed teams, bringing together girls from all three countries, were going through their paces, producing highly competitive cricket with lots of tactical awareness.

And it was clear that not the least important aspect of the week's activities was the friendships which had developed among the participants. Cricket's distinctive ability to cross boundaries and bring its enthusiasts together was never more evident than at the European Women's Academy.