REPORT BY: Brenda Hall

SETTLE Cricket Club have announced that they have entered their u15 girls' hardball team into the West Yorkshire Women and Girls Cricket League – North Region Girls (Hardball) this year.

The club has seen an impressive increase in the number of registered members over the last few years.

Due to this growth in interest, as well as their ever-improving skills on the pitch, it seemed only natural to offer the opportunity for the junior girls to participate in hardball cricket, within a dedicated girls’ league.

On Sunday, 5 May, the girls u15 hardball side played their first game, facing the Harrogate Hawks.

Buoyed by their captain, Isobel North, together with some outstanding batting and fieldwork, Settle won by six wickets.

The week also held great news on the representative front, as u15 hardball player, Betsy Caton, was selected to represent the North Yorkshire Regional Girls under 13 squad.

Caton is the first junior girl in the club’s history to be selected to play regional cricket, and the club couldn’t be prouder of her achievement.

Junior Chair, Ian Walker, said: “It is a remarkable achievement to go from no female teams to four female teams, competing in the leagues, in only three years."

In addition to the u15 girls' hardball team, Settle Cricket Club proudly have three other female teams.

Namely, Girls Development Softball (u10), Girls Softball (u12) and Women’s Softball, all running alongside five mixed junior teams, five men's teams and walking cricket.