A new team made its debut in the junior premier grade on Saturday.
The Kaikorai Sapphires — an all-girls team — entered the grade and took on the North East Valley Hornets at Corstorphine Park.
Coach and Kaikorai Cricket Club junior club captain Greg Barnes told the Otago Daily Times on Friday he had been coaching junior cricket at the club for 14 years, and this was the first time an all-girls team from the club had entered the grade.
"We used to have a couple of girls playing in the premier grade a few years back," he said.
"But we’ve now got a full girls team [in premier grade], which is a first for the club."
Barnes said the club now has four all-girls teams playing in the various grades.
"When I started coaching there was only three or four girls around playing cricket [at the club]," he said.
"But it has just grown through the years and in the last five years it has really taken off.
"We now have a number of girls who can play some good cricket."
Girls’ cricket was strong at Taieri Cricket Club too, he said.
The Sapphires suffered a 37-run loss to the Hornets in their debut. The Hornets posted 157 for four and Sapphires replied with 120 for nine.
Grace Barnes top scored for the Sapphires with 17 retired. and also picked up two wickets.
The game was also a battle for family bragging rights as sister and brother Elisabeth and Elijah Hutton-Neill found themselves in opposite teams.
