2023-24 registrations now open

As season 23-24 fast approaches, here is an update on things to consider ahead of a new dawn:

SENIORS

PRE-SEASON TRAINING

Pre-season training sessions for season 2023-24 under new coach Tristan Weeks and his assistant Paul Dickson will be on TUESDAY NIGHTS from AUGUST 8 at 7pm.

The 90-minute sessions at Riverside's Windsor Park indoor nets will focus on batting, bowling and fielding skills development, game-day scenario practice, fitness and a lot of fun!

All existing and new players of all ages and abilities intending to play senior cricket in season 2023-24 are invited to attend - men, women and juniors aged 14-18.

We will be fielding four senior men's teams next season - Premier League, A-Reserve, B-grade and C-Grade - along with a Female Boom side and U12, U14 & U16s junior teams.

If you have any questions about season 23-24, call Tristan on 0417 361 313.

SEASON START DATE

The TCL has confirmed the season will start on the weekend of October 14-15.

Save the date - our season launch will be held at The Plough Inn on Friday, October 6 from 6.15pm. More details to come.

REGISTRATIONS - now open

To help reduce time spent on administration, the committee has decided to move away from game-day ball fees to a season-fee structure.

Streamlining our senior men and women to this one-off fee structure brings the process into line with what is in place for our junior programs.

The committee is making cricket cheaper for players and reducing the amount of administration by the treasurer and captains considerably.

Registration fees for 2023-24 have been set as follows:

• Senior men - $150 + CA Insurance

• U18s playing seniors (aged 13-18 and not playing juniors) - $120 + CA Insurance

• Senior women - $120 + CA Insurance

• Senior player sponsorship - CA Insurance (sponsor will be invoiced)

• Juniors - $120 + CA Insurance
  

REGISTER HERE NOW: Play Cricket

There will be an option for fill-in players to register online at a charge of only the CA insurance fee. Players can also anonymously contact Treasurer Adrian Hinds on 0449 681 594 if they can not afford the upfront fee and still want to play cricket to arrange an alternative payment plan.

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

To make playing cricket even cheaper, players - senior men and women - can also seek to attract a player sponsor to cover their fees for the season.

Player sponsorships cost $250 for men and $200 for women. Individuals and businesses can sponsor individual players within the club to cover a player’s ball fees for one season and will receive the following in return:

• Business name displayed as “player sponsor” in the clubrooms and on club website;

• One Apache Social Club membership which includes entry into weekly members' draw, $1 off every drink at home matches & invite for one business representative to attend a sponsors day at the cricket - includes drinks & spit roast lunch.

Whether you're a player seeking to enjoy the sport without any cost this year or a business keen on making a meaningful contribution to our club, we encourage you to reach out to Paul Degetto on 0408 968 849. He will be more than happy to provide you with a sponsorship letter, an invoice tailored to your requirements, or any further information you may need.

JUNIORS

We are planning on fielding U12s, U14s and U16s teams this season while operating a new and improved introductory Cricket Blast program.

As previously communicated, Curtis Hodgetts is our Junior Development officer and can help answer any questions you may have on 0448 555 701.

JUNIORS (boys & girls aged 9-16 years)

U12s - Players aged 9/10-12 before August 1, 2023

U14s - Players aged 12-14 before August 1, 2023

U16s - Players aged 14-16 before August 1, 2023

All new and existing players must register online here: Play Cricket

Registration fees have dropped to $120 + CA Insurance fee for this season in recognition of the increasing living pressures.

Each player will receive a playing top (to be returned as seasons end) and an off-field Chieftains cap.

We are also running a junior registration competition this year for early-bird registrations, with one lucky participant winning a $200 Launceston Sportspower voucher. The winner will be randomly drawn in September.

If you know of any children interested in playing cricket, please put them or their parents in contact with JDO Curtis Hodgetts or point them to the registration page. The more numbers we have the better.

Pre-season/training sessions

U16s and U14s pre-season training - all players are welcome at senior pre-season training from Monday, August 8 at Riverside indoor nets from 7-8.30pm.

We will hold a session every Tuesday night until the end of September for senior men and under-16 and 14s past and new players, before outdoor training at Start Solar Park, Hadspen, on Thursdays from October 5.

Official junior pre-season for U12s, U14s & U16s - starts on Thursday, October 5 at Start Solar Park, Hadspen, from 4.30pm-5.45pm and will be staged weekly at this time.

Training sessions will be run by JDO Curtis Hodgetts with the support of senior assistant coach Paul Dickson, team managers and senior Hadspen player to help with skills development and team building.

Season start date

All junior NTCA competitions traditionally start after the long weekend in November with matches played on Friday or Monday nights. The exact night and start date for each grade have not yet been finalised. We will communicate this once known.

Parent Help

As with any club, many hands make light work and you don't have to be a cricketer to help out. To help run a successful season we need parent help to ensure that training/games and social aspects run smoothly. Most of these are not a weekly commitment and do not involve handling a cricket ball, and include;

• BBQ manager and kiosk helpers

• Team managers

• Scorers

There will again be a rotating parent helper roster for home matches. If you can regularly help out, please contact JDO Curtis Hodgetts.

INTRODUCTORY CRICKET BLAST (boys & girls aged 5-10 years)

There are changes afoot to how this program has been run in the past, with Cricket Australia looking to merge the previous Junior Blasters and Master Blasters programs under one banner - Cricket Blast.

We will provide more information on this program for boys and girls aged 5-10 once it becomes known and when registrations open.

If your child (aged 9-10) has been involved in Master Blasters previously for one or two years, they may be ready to jump up into the U12s junior program (see above).