In the same week that the KNCB announced the reformation of the KNCB Youth Committee with Roland Lefebvre and Marike Dickmann of the KNCB playing a key part the KNCB, has acted swiftly to create the mirror image in Girls’ and Women’s Development by forming a similar body for the development of the women’s and girls’ game.

Meeting for the first time on Saturday at VOC in Rotterdam will be Cox, Dickmann, Ingrid van der Elst (Women’s Cricket Administrator) together with coaches Helmien Rambaldo, Annemarie Tanke and former international Caroline de Fouw. Added to the group but not available this weekend will be Huub Jansen (KNCB Board Representative for Women’s Cricket) and Violet Wattenberg.

Commenting, Richard Cox said: ‘Following the review we have undertaken of all youth cricket in the Netherlands, it seems right and sensible that we address the future of the female game in the same light as the boys’ programme.

‘Given the massive interest in Girls Under 13 Cricket this winter and the new programmes that Marike and the coaches have put in place it’s now time to address the future development programme for girls and women’s cricket in the Netherlands – Caroline, Annemarie, Huub, Helmien, Violet and Alex Rambaldo have been fantastic this winter and now is the time to kick on with it all.’

In essence the group will review the Winter Programme for the U13-17s and also look at the summer planning for the U13, U15, U17 and Netherlands Women’s A Team in order to provide a stronger base for the international programme. Already this winter significant progress has been made with the new U13 Programme together with the coaching programme at Galgenwaard (FC Utrecht) every Sunday.

As an addition to the programme Netherlands International Eric Szwarczynski will work with the girls as part of his new professional contract with the KNCB, demonstrating the KNCB’s new-found thinking to grow the game from the bottom up and to link the key role models in the game to every platform of the sport . Further announcements regarding the contracted players for the Dutch Lions programme will be forthcoming following their meeting early next week.

Finally it is interesting to note that Cox himself will be at the Under-13 session on Sunday helping out, and will be taking a keen interest in the A Team in order that a strong programme is embedded over the next few months.

Cox said: ‘We are looking for fixtures for the A team to increase our experiences and opportunities out there – already SGS have come forward and we are thankful to Duco Ohm for sending out his team to play, but we need more opposition for our “best of the rest” players to help them to force their way in to the national squad.

‘Also, with the national team players from the Women’s team and having Eric available, what more could these young ladies ask? It is fantastic that Eric has offered to help out and shows that we are moving into new waters with our programmes, and we are fortunate to have him for the next four Sundays.’

Szwarczynski will no doubt see the girls again pretty soon, as Cox has it mind to offer a Women’s and Girls’ Day at a Clydesdale Bank 40 game where the girls will get to feature on the outfield during the break between the innings, again bringing the grassroots closer to the national set up, a key aim of the new CEO.

Huub Jansen, Board Representative for Women’s Cricket finished off by noting: 'Building on the work of the past few years, we have created some momentum in the lower end of the women’s game and now we must press on at every level in order to improve our status – the future is bright right now but with the summer ahead of us we need to capitalize on the winter’s exploits, with the Academy girls doing well in Spain in three weeks’ time and then explode into the new League season with people really performing – exciting times.’

The KNCB have also scheduled in a series of matches from ECB Division 2 side Essex, who will be bring a Senior and a Development team over to test the Dutch girls in the lead up to the European Championships, whilst Worcestershire will visit in April and Yorkshire are waiting in the wings for a summer visit to top things off.

Finally, Cricket Europe and the KNCB will join forces on 11 April in Schiedam for an Indoor Tournament when many players will be fighting out under the watchful eye of the selectors for a place in this summer's KNCB teams – as Jansen says, 'exciting times'!