Junior Cricket
The junior season typically runs from October to March, with pre-season for our competitive teams starting in August. We field teams in every age group and welcome both boys and girls.
Register now, or if you are new to the club and would like more information please contact Junior Coordinator.
Our Junior Program
Over recent years, we have worked hard on improving our program to bring it to a level where Montrose is now considered a ‘Destination Club’.
Montrose has achieved a significant increase in players at representative cricket level and transitioning to Senior cricket.
Continuous improvement is of paramount importance and we will continue to strive to provide accredited and experienced Coaches to all teams and offer a superior training program.
Montrose Cricket Club aims to have a safe and family friendly cricketing environment, which best fosters the development of players and thereby hopefully enhancing their overall enjoyment of the game. Montrose Cricket Club aims to support the player, whatever pathway they choose.
Introduction to cricket
Children who haven’t had a season of in2Cricket, or aged 4-6, should enrol in the Woolworths Cricket Blast Program.
Duration: 1 hr (to be confirmed), approximate 10 week program
When: Friday evenings
Separate program run for Boys and for Girls (where numbers permit).
U10 Big Bash
Traditionally a non-competitive program (but subject to change), typically aimed at children aged 7 to 10, who are keen to play ‘proper’ cricket and experience playing in a team.
The children will have opportunity to build on their cricketing skills, both during training and the game. Players wear white pants and Club uniform. They also don protective equipment and play with a modified ball. The matches are 20/20 format, against teams from other clubs at various grounds. Families enjoy a picnic on the sidelines.
Note: Girls, are welcome to play in this competition, subject to availability. We also recommend playing the U12 Girls competition
Season: Mid October to Late February (break for Christmas/January holidays)
Training: 1 night per week, 1 to 1.5 hours (Wednesday Night 4:30pm-6pm)
Game: Friday evenings 5-8pm
U12’s
U12’s is the first competitive grade of cricket suitable for boys and girls between the age 9 to 12, who are sufficiently confident to participate with the hard synthetic cricket ball. Ideally children entering at this point would have previously participated in an introductory program or the U10’s Blast. This competition provides opportunity to consolidate and further develop their cricket skills. Teams will play a combination of 1 and 2 day games throughout the season.
U12’s is the first age group in which your child may be nominated for a representative cricket pathway.
If room permits, some U12 players may be invited to play in an U14 team in addition to U12’s.
Please note: Girls will be permitted to play in this competition provided there is availability, they are confident facing the hard ball and have played in the Girls U12 competition previously or in addition to the Friday night competition.
Training: 1.5 hrs one night per week (Wednesday 4:30pm-6pm)
Game: Friday evenings – 5-8pm
U14’s & U16’s
U14’s and U16’s players will be encouraged to volunteer their services and give back to the Club by helping to run the Introductory programs.
U14’s training: 1.5 hrs one night per week (Wednesday night 5:30pm-7pm)
U16’s training: 1.5 hrs one night per week (Wednesday 5:30pm-7pm) plus extra training session with the Senior group if they want.
Game: Saturday morning 7.30-11:30am (depending on time required to arrive)
Home Venue: Montrose Reserve
Girls Cricket
Montrose Cricket Club is proactively promoting and encouraging opportunity for girls to play cricket in a safe and supportive environment.
Our Club will continue to run ‘Come n Try’ sessions exclusively for girls, with a view to expanding our Junior Girls program to two or more teams, in each age group.
We currently field girls teams in the U12 & U15 age groups with season 2020/21 expected to grow into U12, U14 & U16.
The players wear club uniform and use protective equipment however the U12 girls use the modified synthetic ball (same as U10’s use) and the U15 girls use the hard synthetic ball.
Girls who have played a season of U10’s in the Friday night competition will be encouraged to progress to the U12 girls’ competition.
Girls may play in both the girls’ competition and appropriate mixed competition subject to availability.
Training: 1-1.5 hours one night per week (Wednesday 4:30pm-6pm)
Game: Sunday morning (home and away)
Team Allocation
Players must be under the age cut-off as at the 1st of September with a copy of the child’s birth certificate required on player registration to validate eligibility. Please note that girls aged up to 2 years above the age group are permitted to play in mixed competitions. Permits may be approved for players to play below their age group in special circumstances.
In previous seasons, Montrose Cricket Club has been fortunate to be able to field more than one team in each age group, which provides an increased chance of players participating at a level matched to their ability and potential.
Age and maturity will not be the main determining factor for player allocation to teams within an age group. Previous experience, how coachable a player is, their current skill level, how quickly a player is expected to develop, among other factors, will be considered after consultation with coaches and an assessment made during preseason.
Montrose Cricket Club currently has capacity to field up to:
- 6 teams on a Friday evening,
- 6 teams on a Saturday morning,
- 6 girls teams on a Sunday morning
- 6 senior teams
Teams may play at home at either Montrose Reserve or Keith Hume Reserve, depending on the age group and grade. U10’s play at Keith Hume Reserve. Montrose Cricket Club will strive to field the full 6 teams, whether this be 4 U10’s and 2 U12’s, 3 U10’s and 3 U12’s or 4 U12’s and 2 U10’s, for example. Grading is largely determined by the RDCA and the performance of the team in the previous season.
Ideally, but not always the case, Montrose would like to field teams in the first grade, 3rd or 4th grade and 5th or 6th grade in each age group. Young, inexperienced U12 teams may be graded lower.
We try our best to match each player to the right team but there will always be occasion where we will have to make difficult decisions.
Representative Cricket Pathways
The Club will nominate a select group of players (boys & girls) playing in the highest grade in each age group (U12, U14, U16, U18, U21) to participate in trials to play representative cricket for the RDCA in the VMCU Carnival. Trials usually commence in the September school holidays. Players will be selected to progress through a series of indoor and outdoor trials resulting in 2 teams for each age group playing against other Districts in early January.
Often the RDCA will run a Development Squad program throughout July and August, leading up to these trials. Usually the Club will forward this information to our members or the information can be obtained from the RDCA website. Many of our players continue to work on their game in the off season, elect to play indoor cricket or engage in additional 1:1 coaching and commit extra time on top of the time allocated to team training.
At State level (pathways to be confirmed), in previous years players may also be nominated by the Association or otherwise (not the Club), to trial for the Outer East Eagles squads (U14, U16, U18). This competition is played on a turf wicket. Typically the players selected will be top-age. Generally, but not guaranteed, players who were not selected to play for Outer East Eagles will be placed in an RDCA team. Please peruse the Outer East Eagles website for further pathway information.
The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association also runs an U15 competition, the JG Craig Shield (Boys). Bayswater Cricket Club and/or Croydon Cricket Club may invite bottom age U16 players to trial for a place in their team. The carnival runs throughout January and is played on a turf wicket. Generally, but not guaranteed, players who were not selected to play for either of these teams may secure a place in an RDCA team, depending on the number of players coming back from the Outer East Eagles trials.
School Sports Victoria also fields a state Metro team for boys and girls in the U12 and U15 age groups in the national championship, played on turf. Your son or daughter will need to be nominated by their school to participate in the trials. The school is limited to 3 nominations.
Playing representative cricket is great experience for our players and may lead to playing cricket at a higher level. It is not the only pathway, however. For example, players or players’ parents may be contacted directly by Premier Cricket Clubs, such as Ringwood, to be invited to join a development program, or to train with the squad with a view to playing premier cricket.