Middlesex Cricket welcomed players, coaches, families and supporters to the QEII Ground at Swyncombe Avenue yesterday evening for an open training session, giving those in attendance the opportunity to watch the Women's First Team squad train, meet the players and coaches, and take part in a Q&A session.
The event also highlighted the continued development of the QEII Ground, which Middlesex hopes will become the long-term home of women's and girls' cricket.
Women's captain Saskia Horley was delighted to see so many young cricketers and their families in attendance.
"It was great to see so many young girls, coaches and parents come along. It was a great opportunity for the girls to showcase their skills and for the spectators to engage and interact. There was a really nice atmosphere created and look forward to making it more of a regular event as it only helps towards growing female cricket!"
Head Coach Marc Broom praised both the event and the progress made at Swyncombe Avenue.
"The open session at Swyncombe Avenue yesterday was superb! The opportunity to showcase the senior side to the younger cricketers and their parents doesn't happen often so this really was an important session for the exposure of our side.
Swyncombe Avenue has come on leaps and bounds since I last saw it, and those who have been involved in its development need to be commended. The playing surface was excellent, the outfield was in great condition considering the amount of dry weather and Raj could not do enough for us. A huge thank you to all involved.
I thought the Q&A session at the end provided some great insight for the parents and young players as to what it actually takes to play at the highest level.
A great experience for all."
Charlie Hobday added:
"It's fantastic to see so many people come along to watch our First Team squad train. It's also fantastic to see young girls being able to observe closely how the team trains and prepares. Hopefully, a few of the players in the crowd today are inspired by what they have seen.
For many it's their first visit to QEII, Swyncombe Avenue so it's also great to show people our new ground and the opportunities it can and will provide for Women and Girls across Middlesex."
Josh Knappett said:
"The open training session at our QEII Ground on Swyncombe Avenue was a huge success and gave people a real insight into the 'what' and the 'why' of this development.
Swyncombe is an important project for Middlesex Cricket, not just because of the facilities being created, but because of what they represent: a long-term commitment to giving women and girls access to high-quality cricket environments where they can train, play and develop properly.
We want to thank everyone who attended and made this session the success it was."
