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37 JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR ALL THE LATEST: TRENTBRIDGE.CO.UK/MAILINGLIST COMMUNITY “WE WANT THE GIRLS TO ENJOY IT TOO, THAT’S THE MAIN THING. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO GET THEM READY TO PLAY AT A HIGHER LEVEL IF THEY WANT TO.” TimWard “If we’re growing the game in terms of the number of girls we’re attracting to All Stars, then we should see plenty of them progressing through to other forms of the game when they’re older – whether that’s age-group cricket, turning profes- sional or playing for fun. “All Stars is the start of the pathway. The ethos is all about having a good time, then Dynamos cricket – which caters for eight to 11-year-olds – adds some more skills and applies them in games.” Dynamos is set to launch this summer; from there, the aspiring professional cricketers of tomorrow can sate their competitive fires in Nottinghamshire’s County Age Group sides. TimWard, a pathway coach with Not- tinghamshire’s under 11 and under 13 girls, is there for them as they step into the county system. “It was a real eye-opener, but I fell in love with it straight away,” he says of his first sessions coaching girls, some six summers ago. “The girls are enthusiastic, they listen to you, and they’re inquisitive.That’s why I enjoy it. “We want the girls to enjoy it too, that’s the main thing. But we also want to get them ready to play at a higher level if they want to. “I’ve worked with Martyn Kiel (Notts Women’s Head Coach) and I’ve seen the sorts of things they do at Loughborough (the ECB’s regional development centre), so I try and drip-feed some of that in at the earliest age.” Providing opportunities for women and girls has become something of a personal odyssey forTim in recent years. With a 16-year-old daughter, Maddie, making waves on the county scene, he’s seeing first-hand just how far talent and dedication can take you. “When I was asked to coach the U12 girls, we didn’t have a wicketkeeper,” he recalls. “Maddie had just started looking to become a keeper, so I brought her along. She’d never touched a hard ball before, but she came along, did really well, and she’s never looked back.” Tim’s voice breaks with pride as he speaks of his daughter being described as the best wicketkeeper in County Age Group cricket by a national talent manager. And, as Maddie looks to progress towards the senior game, he is an advocate of aspiring professionals gaining a varied cricketing education. “Maddie’s got onto the Academy at Loughborough, and for her to be able to train there is unbelievable,” he says. “The facilities are fantastic, she’s had the likes of Lucy Higham coaching her, and to see people like (stars of the England Women’s team)Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight training and hanging around in the same environment is brilliant. “But the experience Maddie’s gained in mixed games has definitely helped as well. She’s played for theWelbeck third team. As a keeper, you’ve got to adapt, and her game totally transformed for that experience.” The dream of domestic and international recognition is very much alive for Maddie and her peers, thanks largely to a signifi- cant expansion of the professional ranks in the women’s game. Forty-one women earned new professional deals before Christmas – with Higham amongst their number. A generation ago, even a singular talent would have needed an element of luck, and possibly a financial safety net, to succeed at the highest level. Now, cricket is a viable career option. But the heartbeat of the sport is found, as ever, amongst those who play simply for the love of it. “The growth in the women’s game has been immense, and one of the biggest