WDCA chairperson and director of junior cricket Gordon McLeod unveiled the new Women’s Social Sixes program on Wednesday as a way to make the most of the rising interest from women wanting to play cricket. 

“We did a survey and received a fair bit of interest from women outside the junior age levels wanting to introduce something the area for them to play cricket,” he said.

“Initially this year its more around the social aspect of it and it’s involving some training drills before they play a game.

“Over a period of an hour to an hour and a half there will be some training and then there will be a match between the people at the session.”

McLeod said the game would be played with twenty20 rules and it will be a short, fast game aimed at progressing the skills of the women participating in all aspects of a cricket match, including fielding, batting and bowling. 

He said the Social Sixes program, which starts on November 4, would begin initially as a trial to future developments in the region.

“It will go for about six weeks and then we will get some feedback,” McLeod said on the running length of the program. 

“Eventually our vision will be to have teams in the association to have women’s sides for a competition.

“It’s a trial of what we eventually want to make a permanent fixture out of.” 

McLeod also confirmed that the second season of the Warrnambool Girls Renegades under 14 and 17 competitions would introduce two new teams. 

“All clubs except two, Dennington and Merrivale, are involved in the competition this year,” he said.

“Panmure, who are from the Grassmere Cricket Association, and Wesley CBC are in for the first time this year. We support their (Grassmere) association by putting their teams into our competition as they can’t run one.”

Allansford, Koroit, Brierly Christ Church, Nestles, Port Fairy, West Warrnambool, East Warrnambool, Nirranda, Russells Creek and Woodford were the front-running clubs which participated in the first season of the competition in 2017/18. 

McLeod said the club’s were deciding if they were to run both age groups or just focus on one.

He said the competition would be similar to last season with the under 17s again playing with twenty20 rules and the 14s using modified rules for a younger age group.

The Warrnambool and District Cricket Association confirmed the season would commence on October 31.