Newham Cricket Club aims to be the hub of cricket in the borough and in the East London region.
At present Newham Cricket Club as the only club with two grass squares in Newham capable of offering top class competitive adult cricket. Its colts’ teams can hold their own in Essex competitive cricket. Newham’s educational establishments, from primary schools upwards are competitive at county, city and national level. Despite losing many of its best young players to established suburban teams that compete in the Essex Premier League, Newham CC’s adult section competes at top level in its own league structure and expects to be competitive in any reformed Essex league structure.
Colts’ development plan
The programme will place great emphasis on fun, yet seek to improve all aspects cricket skills including co-ordination, flexibility, speed, endurance and strength prior to entry into senior competition.
Age 7-9: An introduction to structured coaching, creating a solid plat form for serious cricket including use of bowling machines and technical awareness.
Age 10-13: A higher level of junior coaching will include a far greater “coach to group” and pave the way to adult competitive cricket including introduction to advanced skills, mentoring, self-awareness and fitness.
Senior Ages 15-20: The ultimate goal of the programme is to take and develop a squad of talented, aspiring cricketers who have the potential to compete at top amateur level and professionally.
The Future
In the next five years, we aim to:
- Have three youth teams competing in the Essex County Cricket Board (ECCB) cup competitions
- Build a committee comprising of senior players, parents of junior players and local volunteers
- Build a junior committee run by players of the junior sides
- Develop female teams in the youth and senior age groups
- Achieve Clubmark accreditation
- Become an ECCB focus club
- Run programmes under Chance to Shine, a national charity on a mission to spread the power of cricket throughout schools and communities.
- Run coaching sessions in all primary, junior and secondary schools in Newham
- Host a tournament for teams of players with disabilities to help further the benefits that cricket brings to the community
On August Bank Holiday Monday in 2016 we hosted a cricket festival at our home ground, Flanders Playing Fields. In a 45 over match, an Essex Development XI faced an East London XI, featuring a few ex-Newham CC players. There were over 600 runs scored on our beautiful main square and the teams thoroughly enjoyed their time at Newham CC. We hope to make this cricket festival an annual event to mark the end of our cricket season. You can read about the 2016 event here.
The Ambition
Approaching the 10th season since its re-launch the Club has the infrastructure to offer cricket at top level in the county. If admitted to competition at top adult level the club will be able to meet the aspirations of its young players to compete at that level, in their own community club. The Club has successfully introduced a 3rd XI to assist the transition between junior and senior cricket. We have appointed a former colt as the manager of its young adult teams, acting as a role model and mentor to younger players. As the only club in the Newham borough offering colts’ and adult cricket the club is actively pursuing a satellite establishment with local schools.
The Club has participated actively with ECB, Essex CCC and London Borough of Newham in developing the Newham Cricket Development Plan and Playing Pitch Strategy. These plans recognise that for the foreseeable future Flanders Field is the only facility in Newham capable of hosting top class cricket.
Newham CC 