Photo Credit: Cricket NSW
Cricket NSW is proud to announce that more kids are playing Cricket Blast in the state than ever before, while registrations for 5-12 year olds have passed pre-COVID levels (2019/20).
This week, Woolworths Cricket Blast registrations in NSW surpassed the highest previously recorded season total as over 18,501 children signed up to play and love cricket in 2022-23, up from the previously highest recorded number of 17,947 in 2020-21.
There were other significant milestones reached in the last week in the space of 5-12-year-olds signing up to play cricket too. A total of 41,868 5-12 year olds, a combination of those who play Cricket Blast and junior club cricket, have registered to play cricket this season, up 8% from last season year to date.
The state has also seen the highest number of girls playing cricket in history. In unprecedented results, just under 8,000 girls in the 5-12-year-old age group registered to play this season, which is up 36% from last season.
Among the girls who registered, 5,312 of them signed up for Cricket Blast, more than double the 2,433 girls who played Cricket Blast in the 2019-20 season, the last before the global pandemic.
The never-before recorded registration numbers, with the season still running and offering the scope for more opportunities to play, is a testimony to Cricket NSW’s focused efforts to grow the game in the state like never before and reach a goal of 80,000 5-12-year-olds playing cricket by the 2025/26 season.
Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon said the registration numbers were a significant achievement but that the work had only just begun.
“It is heartening to see the community supporting our wildly important goal of doubling the number of 5-12-year-olds playing our game,” Germon said.
“Children and their parents are taking advantage of the myriad of programs and the hundreds of Cricket Blast centres and cricket clubs that offer the chance for children and adults of all abilities to play all forms of the game.
“We have listened to our community to identify gaps in access, availability and formats and the results are there to see.
“For Cricket Blast in particular, Cricket NSW is currently providing greater assistance by delivering some programs directly in regions and locations of need to support the work of clubs and associations in delivering the sport at a local level.
“This has happened in collaboration with our cricket community and the engagement of clubs and associations who we are working with to inspire everyone to play and love the game. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the game locally and we are forever grateful for the work they do.
“For us though, we will not be resting on our laurels. There is much to be done to reach our wildly important goal and we are committed to the challenge.”
