The Cricket League of New Jersey (CLNJ) Youth program and DreamCricket Academy announced their support of Delkash Shahriarian’s plans to launch a ‘Cricket for Girls’ program starting this Fall. Delkash is a member of the USA Women’s cricket team.
The program will kick off with a free two-hour clinic for girls conducted by Delkash at DreamCricket Academy’s indoor nets in Hillsborough, NJ on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 11AM. Please email [email protected] to register.
The clinic will be open to girls 9 through 16 years of age. All participants will receive a free goodie bag at the end of the clinic, which includes a hat, a certificate of participation and a t-shirt. Once schools open, efforts will be made to introduce cricket to girls in elementary and middle schools in Central New Jersey with the support of USYCA.
First woman to play in the Cricket League of New Jersey
CLNJ Youth already runs a successful age-group program for boys. The more advanced boys play as part of the CLNJ Colts team in Division 3 of CLNJ adult league. The Colts, comprising fifteen U-15 boys, play under the supervision of Coach Earl Daley and are guided by two senior chaperone players who provide situation-oriented mentoring to the boys.
On Sunday, August 19, CLNJ Colts made history by fielding the first ever woman to play in a CLNJ league match. Delkash Shahriarian was one of the chaperone players in the final match of the season for the Colts.
Pic (Right): Delkash Shahriarian opened the Colts innings with Rohan Aravindh in last Sunday’s match.
Speaking after the game, Delkash said: “The game on Sunday was amazing and our win was a good way to end the season. The Colts are a very talented team and it is great to see CLNJ and DreamCricket support and nurture their talents.”
Speaking of her involvement with the NJ Youth cricket program, Delkash said: “I have now seen first-hand the commitment of DreamCricket Academy and CLNJ for promoting youth cricket at the grassroots level. Girls should also take advantage of this youth cricket movement and I am willing to provide my time so that more girls can come forward and enjoy this wonderful game.”
About Delkash Shahriarian
Delkash Shahriarian was the captain of the Rustom Baug Sir Ness Wadia Club in Mumbai, a team she successfully led to victory over stronger women’s teams like Godrej Baug and Dadar Parsi Colony during the 2004-05 season. After graduating from Rachna Sansad’s Academy of Architecture, Delkash joined the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York for her Masters in Architecture. Following her graduation from Pratt, Delkash returned to playing cricket while working as an Architect.
At the 2011 USACA Women’s National Championship, her exceptional performance behind the wickets, followed with a half-century, ensured her a spot on the National Team. A wicket-keeper batswoman, Delkash represented USA in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh in November 2011 and followed that up with a tour of Cayman Islands for the ICC Americas Women’s T20 in April 2012.
Delkash plans to continue her career with the USA Women’s National Cricket team. She continues to train and improve her game skills in preparation for the upcoming Women’s World Cup Qualifier trials in 2013.