Analysis of Youth Figures [Participation]

Although definitive results won’t be available until the end of the season, some indication of changes in participation rates and the fall-out rate as young players leave the sport can be got from the June figures.  Of those who played in Open Competitions in 2014 and who turned 18 during 2014, only 34 have made it through to their nineteenth year. No doubt there are a number of factors involved, studying at foreign universities, working or travelling during the vacations or simply losing interest in the sport. As of the end of June, 25 players who will turn 19 this year and who participated in the 2014 season, have not yet played this season. Hopefully the figures will improve before the end of the year but it is an indication of the challenges facing clubs in replenishing their playing strength. For the province as a whole, and on the pretty arbitrary basis that an average cricket career as an adult is about 10 years, then one would need about 200 players to graduate each year to maintain numbers from internal sources. 

Some further details from the breakdown of OC playing and registration figures in respect of youth cricket. The total number of U18 players who competed in at least one game in the OC in 2014 was 390. The figures for the current year is just over 300. It would be expected that youth numbers will continue to rise through the season. 

In terms of the age distribution of the 300 youth players that have taken part so far this season the breakdown is as follows:

In terms of the level at which youth players are competing - the following provides the breakdown by league. 

Finally,  there are 63 players youth players in 2015 that did not compete in 2014. Possible that there are a few that simply missed last season but we can reasonably assume that the vast majority are new and got their debuts in 2015.