MORE Forest girls want to play cricket than ever before, according to the area's first full-time cricket development officer Ross Farrer.

Ross was at Heywood School this week, coaching girls from the host school, Lakers and Wyedean.

He said: "We're running two Chance To Shine programmes and they're going extremely well.

"I've been coaching girls at Whitecross and I'm also working with various clubs.

"In the north of the Forest, clubs such as Dymock and Corse & Staunton are very pro-active, but I'm also pushing for a girls section in Lydney. Girls definitely want to play the game."

Last year, Heywood's Year Eight girls represented Gloucestershire in the county finals in Bristol after winning the area competition.

The school's under-15s also represented the county in regional finals in Thornbury.

Heywood's Sophie Norton said: "Girls' cricket is one of the most successful extra-curricular clubs we've ever run.

"It's been pitched differently and the girls have really enjoyed it."

Newent Cricket Club launched a girls only training night last season and plan to enter an all-female team to take on the boys in the Leadon Vale Under-11s Youth League.

Newent's Chris Germaine said: "Women's cricket is the next big push and we want to be part of it. It's a priority for both the ECB and GCB."

Young Newent cricketer Polly Griffiths even turned out for the men's senior teams in 2010.

Corse & Staunton and Dymock both run senior women's teams.

Developing junior sections within clubs is Ross's number one goal for the coming season.

The 23-year-old was appointed cricket development officer for the Forest of Dean in September. He came to the area from Devon, where he coached under-10s and 11s for the Devon Cricket Board.

Partnership funding for Ross's position has been secured through the School Sports Partnership, vCricket and Chance To Shine for two years.

He said: "So far I've spent much of my time in schools.

"Bigger junior sections are the catalyst for so much – they help clubs to become more financially sustainable."

Ross's emphasis will be to provide more cricket for under-nines, 10s and 11s, ideally through the formation of new grass-roots leagues which are linked to national competitions.

He is helping Aston Ingham to attain Clubmark status and says much of his work this year will be with Newent, Corse & Staunton, Dymock and Redmarley.

Ross is also working in the city of Gloucester, where he feels the big issue is the poor state of the grounds.

He said: "Grounds in the Forest seem pretty good, but in the city it's more of a problem.

"Many of them are not even cricket grounds, they're rugby grounds with a cricket square."