Our Aims & Approach

To provide opportunities for as many players as possible to play during the season.

This year we have a squad of 32 and will play two 8-a-side fixtures each week for most of the season. It’s the biggest squad we’ve ever had at this age-group and it’s why we’ve entered two teams into leagues this year.

For players to continue to work on and develop all aspects of their game with an eye on long term development.

We’re not developing batters or bowlers at this stage, we’re developing cricketers. We want players to compete, to improve, to have fun with their friends and to get fitter and healthier, with all the physical and mental benefits this brings. We know that player development isn’t a straight line and that all players grow and develop at different rates and at different times; it’s our role to support this journey for as long as possible.

“It’s been a brilliant effort in getting so many games for all the players this year”

—U11s Parent

To provide the best possible environment to play cricket in.

We’re here as coaches to help develop the person and the player. We want them to develop their cricket skills but also to learn how to be a great teammate, to communicate with and support others, to be good decision-makers, to deal with success and failure, to develop confidence, resilience and leadership skills.

We want to establish independent learners who are not dependent on feedback from a coach. On game day, this might look like players being asked to organise themselves or to choose how they want to warm-up. The captaincy will be rotated, sometimes between individuals, sometimes as a pair. No one will have to do it if they don’t want to. Players will be encouraged to make decisions for themselves and to review and learn from how it went. Our focus is on stretching and supporting the players, not giving them all of the answers all of the time.

Teams & Selection

We encourage all members to come to training as selection will be based around the skills and temperament being shown during the sessions.  However if you are struggling to make training please talk to the coaches.

For 2024 we are aiming to run two competitive league teams which will include opportunities for less experienced players to develop. In addition we are looking at having regular midweek friendly matches. All teams are open to both U11 boys and up to U13 girls, however selection will ultimately depend on player availability and balance of the team with the aim to give as many opportunities as possible.

All matches are hardball unless otherwise stated and players will need to have their own full protective cricket equipment to include bat, pads, gloves, abdominal guard (box) and helmet.

In U11 league matches, all players will have the chance to bat and bowl as it is pairs cricket (similar to U9s) and players at league level must be able to bowl with a straight arm.

The Monday night Merlins are in the Leeds Wetherby Junior Cricket League and play their home fixtures at Gledhow Sports & Social Club on a grass wicket.

The Friday night Foxes are in the Aire Wharfe Junior Cricket League and play their home fixtures at Meanwood on the Astro wicket (no spikes).