27 April 2023

The below document outlines the Extension opportunities open to Year 7 Boys from June 2023 through until January 2024.

CJCA Year 7 2023 Preview and Review

CJCA Year 7 2023 Review and Preview

The season just past has been a challenging one for many in Community Cricket – the introduction of the PlayHQ system certainly took a lot of administrative time and took time away from other tasks that generally we can do during the season.

The current Year 7 intake started the season as year 6’s in our Festivals (2022) 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 27 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 3 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 and teams from Buller and the West Coast.

This number of teams was down on what we normally see participating in January Festivals and we hope that more players will want to play in the offerings in January 2024 which have recently be scheduled.

In February/March we had our Summer Festival and there were 6 teams participating – again this is down on our normal numbers of 8-10 teams so we hope this will rebound in Spring of 2023 (the next CJCA Festival opportunity).  This Festival was adversely affected by rain but when we did play there were some really close games and there were 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 (TBC at the Sir Richard Hadlee Centre) and 10.30am-12noon (at the Sporting Edge Centre, Matipo St).  This Programme will commence 13^th of August (Saturdays) and 19^th August (Sundays) and run for 6 weeks.

Spring Festival

Year 7 Spring Festival will be on the 29^th of October, 5th and 12^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 2024 the CJCA Year 7 (2023) will participate in Canterbury Regional Festivals these will be a 3 1/2 day Festival held at either Mandeville (North Canterbury) or in either Buller or West Coast between the 8^th and the 11^th of January 2024 (Monday to Thursday) – players will have the option to choose to be considered for either or both of these options prior to teams being organised.

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.  The group that goes to Buller/West Coast (up to 2 teams) will be the only teams significantly travelling this upcoming summer as the CJCA will host the Tier 1 Year 8 Festival for the first time in 11 years and the secondary festival will be held at Mandeville.  The CJCA will aim to subsidise costs for those travelling.

Year 8 2024

Following the 2024 January Festivals current Year 7 boys become Year 8 (2024) boys and their Summer Festival moves to playing on grass wickets most likely at Burnside Park – provisional dates are the 18^th and 25^th of February and the 3^rd 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 2025.

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 me.

Should anyone require further information about any aspects of Cricket be in Club/School Cricket or CJCA Cricket please get in touch – I’m planning to take some leave in May / June and will be attending the NZC Districts Conference 8-10 May at Lincoln.

Please email me [email protected]