GIRLS are being encouraged to take up the traditionally male sport of cricket after a new scheme was launched in Teesdale.

Twenty-seven teenagers from Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle, have joined a new after-school club in the hope of setting up their own team.

The coaching project is led by Barnard Castle Cricket Club, County Durham Sport, Durham Cricket Board and the cricket charity, Chance to Shine.

The youngsters, from Year 7 to Year 9, train every Wednesday at Teesdale Sports Centre and have even been joined by cricket stars such as Lachlan Pfeffer, of Australia’s Queensland team and England Ladies player, Danielle Hazell.

Barnard Castle cricket club coach, John Ashworth, said: “We have done junior cricket for many years and seriously for the last 14 years, but we have never had a mass of girls and the problem is they get up to about 11 or 12 and move away into other sports; mainly because there’s not many of them and they can feel isolated on a boys team.

“So we thought right let’s set this up and see if these girls would like to carry on down the club.”

Mr Ashworth said the girls are playing with tennis balls at the moment but that they have the opportunity to move onto hard balls and even join the club’s boys as part of their mixed teams.

They have already been entered into a few competitions this summer too.

“It’s possible for girls to play in the Premier League Cricket so it’s something for them to aim for,” Mr Ashworth added.

“The idea is that the project is going to run for at least 30 weeks but if they really like it they can carry it forward.”

The group secured funding from County Durham Sport and have been working with Durham Cricket Board coach, Darren Brown.

Chance to Shine have also visited the group to make a documentary for their website about the success of the club.

Head of PE at Teesdale School, Jean Brennan, said the initiative is proving to be a big hit with students.

“We are extremely grateful to Chance to Shine for giving our girls the opportunity to come together to play cricket,” she said.

“The idea in the long term is to create a girls’ section but once it’s established we will see if they would like to join the Barnard Castle Cricket Club night.”