13th May 2025

The below document outlines the Extension opportunities open to Year 7 Boys from June 2025 through until January 2026.

CJCA Year 7 2025 Review and Preview as at 5th May 2025 v2

Year 7 CJCA Pathway as at 5th May

CJCA Year 7 2025 Review and Preview

The current Year 7 intake started the season as year 6’s in our Festivals (2024) and for many in Saturday Cricket.  At Christmas the move the “grace period cricket” for all players rather than “Pairs Cricket” moved players towards more conventional cricket.

We finished the year with 21 teams playing Year 6 Saturday cricket as well as others playing in either the Year 5/6 Super 8 competitions (incrediball) or ahead of their age in older grades.

In January the CJCA had 4 teams participate in the “New Year 7 Festival” at Mandeville which provided a blend of both “Grace Period” and “Out you’re Out” Cricket over the three days – many thanks to our volunteer coaches who assisted over those 3 days as the teams played matches against Canterbury Country, Buller, Marlborough and a team from Nelson.

This number of teams was what we would normally see participating in January Festivals and we hope that more players will want to play in the offerings in January 2026 which are now confirmed as being between the 5th adn 8th of Janaury 2026 at Christchurch adn Canterbury Country (must likely Mandeville).

In February/March we had our Summer Festival and there were 6 teams participating – again this is down on the 8 teams we had in Spring but this appears to be the norm now and matches the number of volunteers to be able to do a good job of managing/scoring the games we hope this will continue to occur in Spring of 2026 (the next CJCA Festival opportunity).  This Festival provided plenty of opportunities for players to develop their skills and get more used to the harsh realities of “out you’re out” cricket which once players get used to managing – will stand them in good stead going forward.

The Year Ahead

Planning is well underway for the next 11 months.  Pre-season Training registrations will open in June with the year 7 programme running at 3.30pm-5pm on Saturdays and 10.15am to 11.45am both at the Sir Richard Hadlee Centre.  This Programme will commence 9^th (Saturday) & 10^th (Sunday) of August and run for 6 weeks.

Spring Festival

Year 7 Spring Festival will be on the 19^th of October and 2^nd & 9^th of November so will be concluded before Show Weekend weather dependant.  Registrations will open in August.

This Festival is planned to be at Warren Park and will feature 4 20/20 games and a longer format game on the 3^rd day.

Registrations will close for the January Festivals during the Spring Festival

January Festivals

In January 2026 the CJCA Year 7 (2025) will participate in Canterbury Regional Festivals these will be a 3 1/2 day Festival held in Canterbury Country (most likely Mandeville) between the 5^th and the 8^th of January 2026 (Monday to Thursday)

As we seek to be a good member of the wider Canterbury Junior Cricket family it’s important that we support going to festivals away from home.

Year 8 2026

Following the 2026 January Festivals current Year 7 boys become Year 8 (2026) boys and their Summer Festival moves to playing on grass wickets most likely at Burnside Park – provisional dates are the 22^nd of February and the 1^st & 8^th of March.  The challenge of playing on grass will be new for some but those who have previously participated in January Festivals and the odd time where clubs/schools play on grass on Saturdays they would have already played on the surface that will be used more once players move to Youth Cricket in 2027.

I hope your child has had a positive experience with Cricket as a Junior player and hope that should there have been any roadbumps over the journey that we have been able to smooth these and make your CJCA experience a positive one.  We pride ourselves on our openness and hope that should be concerned about anything either at Club/School or Association level that you have the confidence to approach us.

Should anyone require further information about any aspects of Cricket be in Club/School Cricket or CJCA Cricket please get in touch.

Please email me [email protected]