The good news is that Birkenhead School is a far better facility, better lighting, and full length nets will mean a safer environment in which to coach the children. The one downside is that there are only 3 lanes, one less than we are used to, so we shall have to see how numbers work out.

Straight after our session our seniors will be netting from 9-10pm and I would encourage any of the older juniors who have played regular senior cricket to attend these nets rather than junior ones if possible.

Each session will cost £3 per child. If you have any questions then please drop me an email and I will do my best to advise.

Registration and Outdoor Nets
Our first outdoor net session will be the 21st April, and due to it being Good Friday the week before we will also do registration on the 21st.

Subscriptions
We have changed the way juniors become members of the Club, from this season membership will be on a family basis so that both children and parents will be Club members. The new charging structure is set out below:

Children	Adults	Family Membership
1	1	£25
1	2	£30
2	1	£40
2	2	£45
3	1	£50
3	2	£55

Note 1: The option for 1 adult to join is for single parent families only

Note 2: Children of existing playing members, ex-playing members, or vice presidents will continue to pay on the same basis as last year.

Women’s Cricket
Due to the large number of girls we have playing cricket at Upton it was felt now was a good time to ensure they have the opportunities to pursue their cricket even when they are too old for the junior teams.

Therefore in 2017 we will see the first competitive girl’s team take part in the Cheshire U15s competition.

In addition to this we are planning to run a couple of women’s games, we have already been in touch with some ex-players who are keen to start playing again and who with the pool of talent we have at junior level should enable us to field a competitive side.

These are the first steps to establishing a women’s section at Upton CC and I would invite, encourage any ladies who would like to get involved to come forward and give it a go.

Volunteers
As always we need anyone willing to help out with the junior section. If anyone is interested but is worried due to a lack of cricket knowledge/experience there are courses aimed at giving volunteers the basic skills they need to get involved. These are run locally and the Club will pay for the cost of the course.

I am currently entering the teams into the various leagues and cups for 2017 and I have team managers for all the sides except the second u9 team. I will enter them into the league but if a manager is not in place for the beginning of the season it might be we will need to withdraw this side.

Overseas Player
As you are probably aware, every year we compliment our player base with an overseas player and this year is no exception. We have a gentleman called Chris McArthur joining us once his season finishes in Sydney.

The position we find ourselves in most years is that we need to provide accommodation, and this year is no different. Chris will be with us from mid-April through to mid-September and we are on the lookout for somewhere for him to stay during his time with us.

So, if you think you can help out (or know somebody who can), please get in touch with me (details at the bottom of this message). In an ideal world he would have a permanent base for the duration of his stay, however if you think you can offer something for part of his stay, likewise, get in touch with Jez Lamb at jezlamb@hotmail.com.

As always if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Regards

Simon McGowan
Junior Cricket Chairman