The Dunmow Dragons

Dunmow Cricket Club has a thriving junior section with some 160 members known as the “Dunmow Dragons”. The Club welcomes Boys and Girls from the age of 5 through to 16, offering a blend of coaching (updated for 2008) and matches commensurate with their age and ability.

The Club boasts 12 ECB qualified coaches and an overall Junior Cricket Development Officer who, along with a band of enthusiastic supportive parents, coach the essential techniques of batting, bowling and fielding on coaching evenings and match days.

The 5-10 year old members enjoy a 10 week foundation course between May and July aimed at promoting enjoyment of the game whilst learning basic cricket skills in what we hope are fun and informative sessions. Over the course of the season the youngsters work toward skill awards, with all participants receiving certificates to recognize their achievements.

The 11-16 year old Dragons benefit from coaching sessions once a week and play league cricket at U15,U13,U12 and U11 age groups. The U16 team play in the Essex Matchplay competition and the U10`s play in Kwik Cricket competitions around the County.

An award scheme is operated during the season through the Jack Petchey Foundation, which recognises the Dragons achievements. Beneficiaries receive certificates, medals and a cheque for £300 giving them the opportunity to sponsor their own projects within the Club, which are recognised as being their own contributions. This scheme runs alongside the Clubs' own annual awards recognising Batting, Bowling and the Most Improved Players in each age group during the season.

A winter coaching academy is available to our high achievers as well as small group and individual coaching to members who wish to hone their skills further during the season.

The Club operates a “player share” scheme with local village teams which allows them to fulfil their fixtures when they are short of players whilst offering our juniors more opportunity to play competitive cricket.

Whilst the Clubs ethos is to offer “Cricket For All”, the success of the Club is perhaps best demonstrated by the number of Dragons who have received representative honours both for the West Essex District and the full Essex County teams.

A reminder please in consideration of our neighbours. Please do not park in Riverside. There is parking available in the car park next to the white railings in Braintree Road

If you have any queries or require further information please do not hesitate to contact the Junior Cricket Development Officer, Nick Down on 01371 875009 or through our website.

Sponsorship

The Club are actively seeking sponsorship for the Dragons. Can you help? Would your company be interested in discussing the possible promotion opportunities on offer? If so, please contact Nick Down on 01371 875009.

Parking reminder!

In respecting our neighbours, you are asked not to park in Riverside or immediately outside the ground. Please park in the car park in Braintree Road (next to the white railings). The Bowls Club have been in contact with the Club Committee and asked us to
re-inforce their policy that their car park is for Bowls Club members only and should not be used by visitors to the Cricket Club or it`s membership. Club members are therefore requested to respect their wishes and not park in the Bowls Club Car Park.

Can you help? In order to offer cricket to all we need further support from parents. We can only offer matches and training to as many youngsters in as many age groups if parents are able to offer their assistance. We are in urgent need of parents to help on coaching nights, particularly the younger age groups (there is no need to have cricketing knowledge, just patience and a loud voice on occasion!). We are also in urgent need of scorers to score matches. No previous experience necessary !! We organise “learn to score” meetings for those who might need a refresher or have not scored before. We also need assistance in running the Bar and the 2nd Hand Equipment Scheme on Training Evenings and Match Days.

Could anybody who feels they may be able to volunteer to help contact Nick Down on 01371 875009 or nickrdown@yahoo.co.uk

Lost Property

Kids will be kids and we often have unmarked kit left at the club. We do have a lost property box in the Pavilion where all such kit is stored. Please feel free to come and look through the box should kit go ‘missing’. Unclaimed kit will be ‘recycled’ through our second hand kit scheme.

Second Hand Cricket Clothing & Equipment

Parents often offer us good quality kit that has been grown out of, that could be made use of by other colts. We therefore offer a second hand cricket clothing & equipment programme, which offers the opportunity to recycle kit for colts to purchase second hand at nominal prices. Proceeds are donated to club funds to improve our club training facilities. Do you have ‘grown out of ’ cricket equipment or kit getting in the way home? We would welcome it !! Please drop any kit in at the Club on your next visit

Other sites you may find interesting;

www.abcofcricket.com A guide to world cricket news, scores and other information.

www.cricpoint.com An interesting site for all things cricket, including interviews and articles.

www.essexcricket.org.uk The official site of Essex County Cricket Club.

www.ecb.co.uk The official site of the England & Wales Cricket Board.