Women's cricket set to blaze a trail with ECC European Women's Cricket Academy in association with Lloyds TSB Scotland

Women's cricket in Europe will blaze a trail this August when the inaugural ECC (European Cricket Council) European Women's Cricket Academy, in association with Lloyds TSB Scotland, takes place in Edinburgh.

The five-day event, hosted by Cricket Scotland, will be the first time young girls and women from any of the ICC's 86 Associate and Affiliate Members will be exposed to intensive, elite coaching in an Academy setting.

Taking place at Fettes College from the 7 - 11 August, it will be attended by 24 players between the ages of 17 and 21 from the host country, Ireland and the Netherlands.

They will work with an elite European Development Program (EDP) coaching team to increase skills in an attempt to take them towards an elite level of performance.

The ECC has deemed the Academy to be a Regional High Performance Program event and so it will be limited to players from the three most highly-developed Associate Members in the region.

Scotland, as hosts, will have 12 places while Ireland and the Netherlands will be able to send a maximum of six players each.

The idea of a week-long Academy follows the success of the male equivalent Academy and a women's festival hosted by Cricket Scotland in 2004.

ICC Regional Development Manager Richard Holdsworth said the financial support of Lloyds TSB Scotland in the ECC (European Cricket Council) European Women's Cricket Academy allowed cricket to encourage more women and girls into the game.

"This Academy will give the best young players from the leading Associate Members in our region an opportunity to improve their skills to better compete on the world stage in global events," he said.

"It will also allow those players exposed to the Academy experience to take what they learn back to their clubs and make them better equipped to help grow the game.

"The support of Lloyds TSB Scotland is crucial in allowing this to take place and that support also enhances its ongoing relationship with Cricket Scotland.

"The ECC is very grateful to Lloyds TSB Scotland, and their commitment to this European event is an extremely positive development for women's cricket," he added.

Player nominations and the Academy program will be finalised and distributed at the beginning of May.