Solicitors’ support helps kids engage with cricket

Kevin Denmark gives a team talk before the match between Norwich High School for Girls and Flegg High School Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

The Norfolk Cricket Board (NCB) has announced a key new sponsorship arrangement for 2019 with Norfolk-based Cozens-Hardy solicitors.

Cozens-Hardy will be the title sponsor for all of the NCB's key 2019 high school cricket competitions for boys and girls of several age groups. The competitions range from softball for boys at Year 7 and 8, hardball for boys up to U15 level, plus popular competitions for girls, both indoor and outdoor, at U13 and U15 level. In addition, the solicitors will sponsor the successful Norfolk Schools Cricket League for U11 to U15 age groups.

This new sponsorship agreement will help the NCB provide competitive cricket in High Schools for nearly 1,400 children from more than 130 teams across 40 schools. Kieron Tuck, development director for the NCB said: 'This sponsorship deal is absolutely vital in ensuring that the NCB can continue the key work of providing high school competitions for cricket and we're incredibly grateful to Cozens-Hardy for offering its support.

'Our high school competitions are now very wide ranging, as we seek to offer cricket competition to a broader range of children than ever before. This is shown by the growth in our girls competitions and the addition of exciting softball competitions for Year 7 and 8 pupils, which were so popular in 2018, with nearly 95pc of all fixtures played.

Schoolgirl swings bat during cricket game Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

'This sponsorship will ensure we can continue to meet and exceed the expectations of schools and pupils with these competitions, giving players a great experience of the game that we hope they will want to continue at their local clubs.'

Anna Farquharson, marketing partner at Cozens-Hardy added: 'Our local community is really important to us, and the opportunity to help promote junior cricket to as wide an audience as possible was something we couldn't turn down. With both the Cricket World Cup and The Ashes taking place on home soil this year, there's going to be a lot of momentum behind cricket in 2019 and we hope as many schools as possible will engage with these competitions.'

Schoolgirl bowls in a cricket game Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirl bowls in a game of cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirl runs during a game of cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirl scores a run in a game of cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirl bowls in a game of cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirl swings at a cricket ball Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Anna Farquharson (left), marketing partner at Cozens-Hardy, with Norfolk Cricket Board development officer Kevin Denmark (right) before Norwich High School for Girls match against Flegg High School. Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Girls cricket team gets a team talk Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Young schoolgirl plays cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

Schoolgirls playing cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

High school girls playing cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

High school girls playing cricket Picture: Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)