European Academy to be held in Scotland

The first European women's cricket Academy will be held in Scotland this year. In August, a group of 24 players from Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands will receive intensive elite coaching on the five-day course at Fettes College in Edinburgh. The players will be aged between 17 and 21.

The idea of the academy follows the success of its male equivalent and a women's festival hosted by Cricket Scotland in 2004. As hosts, Scotland will have 12 places, while Ireland and the Netherlands will have up to six spots each.

Richard Holdsworth, an ICC regional development manager, explained that the experience would benefit not just the individuals themselves, but their club team-mates. "It will allow those players exposed to the academy experience to take what they learn back to their clubs," he said, "and make them better equipped to grow the game."