Update from DLR and Wicklow

Over the past number of months Jim Stewart has been coaching in the DLR County and Wicklow County areas on behalf of Cricket Leinster. This is generously supported by the Local Authorities and Local Sports Partnerships. Jim reports on his progress to date.

Firstly I set about planning for the primary school competitions and blitzes. This included a new girls soft ball section of the Leprechaun Cup, the second year of the soft ball section and the 14^th year of the hard ball section of the competition. Schools in both areas were very enthusiastic to be starting their 2020 cricket programmes, some of whom had received refresher sessions pre-Christmas. In the first quarter of 2020 I delivered sessions to 1,041 students in the DLR & Wicklow areas. As well as this there were a number of Secondary school that had started there own sessions in preparation for the Leinster Secondary School Competitions.

At this stage, it is difficult to predict when schools will return, we are closely monitoring the Department of Education updates and revising our plans in line with HSE and Government guidelines. However, I will endeavour to facilitate as many school sessions as possible in the two areas before the end of 2020 so as to continue the awareness of cricket in the DLR and Wicklow communities and to increase the school to club links.

Lastly, it would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to my predecessor in the DLR area: Diarmuid Lynch. Everyone at Cricket Leinster wishes Diarmuid well in his studies, every school I contacted spoke very highly of him and the cricket programmes they received in the past.

Jim Stewart