Source: CBA
With the 2020-21 cricket season in full swing, Commonwealth Bank in conjunction with Cricket Australia has launched a virtual cricket clinic series for kids and young adults.
The virtual clinics, made up of two instalments, will entertain, educate and help ensure that over a physically-distanced summer, families and young people, particularly girls, don’t miss out on the joy that cricket brings.
The first instalment in the series is a suite of four ‘Masterclass’ videos, that feature players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team including Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning, and cover everything from reading the field, perfecting your cover drive, to pace bowling.
The second instalment is the new ‘Cricket 101’ clinics designed for budding cricket fans who want to learn more about the game. These cover the basics of batting, bowling and the unique bonds of friendship formed on the field. The series is live from Monday 14 December.
Over the past few years, women’s cricket in particular has enjoyed growing popularity, both at an elite and grassroots level. However, the current health pandemic forced many sports onto the sidelines.
To help launch the virtual cricket clinics, CBA commissioned new research that found a strong representation of professional female cricket players is crucial for increasing female participation at a grassroots level.
Four out of five Australians (77 per cent) agree the growing popularity of female sporting stars will ensure more young females play sport for longer. And while female athletes are getting more recognition than they used to, 78 per cent of surveyed respondents believe there is still a way to go.
Monique Macleod, Chief Marketing Officer at Commonwealth Bank, said: “Commonwealth Bank has been proudly supporting women’s cricket for over 20 years, and during that time it’s been so rewarding to see how far it’s come. Unfortunately, many women’s sports have been sidelined due to coronavirus, so it is more important than ever that we expose young females to strong sporting role models.”