England is challenging the South African Women's Cricket Squad to five One-Day Internationals this summer, starting at Chelmsford on Tuesday 20 June 2000. Team Coach, Paul Farbrace says, "This is a crucial series for us. Crucial for the team as we look ahead to the World Cup in New Zealand later this year. And crucial for those individuals who struggled on the winter tour, but want to make the World Cup Squad. It is also important for Women's Cricket to enjoy some success after recent disappointing performances.

"The ECB is about to appoint four new women's club cricket development officers and we need good results from the senior team, especially in the televised matches, to attract more girls into the game. The teams last met in England in 1997 in the series that marked the South Africa's return to international cricket. England won two of the One-Day Internationals to South Africa's one, with two games abandoned through rain. In 1998 an England U-21 side went to South Africa when honours were divided in the two One-Day Internationals.

The South African Squad arrives on June 11. The first One-Day International takes place at Chelmsford on Tuesday 20 June. Matches follow at Trent Bridge on Thursday 22 June, Canterbury Sunday 25 June, Taunton Wednesday 28 June and Worcester on Saturday 1 July. The games at Trent Bridge and Chelmsford are being televised by Sky TV.

First Four Women's Club Cricket Development Officers

Women's Club Cricket Development Officers are being appointed for the first time and will be in post by May 1. The four new jobs are to cover the South West, (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset) the East Midlands, (Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire) the North (Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland) and the Home Counties (Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire).

The new jobs have been funded by Sport England. "This is a major step forward giving us a major injection of effort, " says Barbara Daniels, National Manager Women's Cricket. "The new Women's Club Cricket Development Officers will be working with existing development colleagues. They will sustain existing clubs, encourage the formation of new groups and attract more players and administrators into the women's game in addition to setting up competition structures for junior cricket."

Increase in numbers involved

The appointments come as the numbers involved in the women's game increase. There has been an 8% rise in the number of clubs, resulting in a 19% rise in the number of women playing cricket since 1998. The number of primary school girls involved has increased from 354,000 to 433,800 and secondary school figures have increased from 139,000 to 174,400. The latest opportunity, to combine improving cricket while studying for a degree at the six University Centres of Excellence, is attracting women as well as men.

New Squad Structure and Junior Internationals

The women's game at the junior level is introducing the same age groups as the men this season. The County League competitions are now for teams aged U-15, U-17 and U-19, bringing them in line with ECB's age groups for boys. The U-19s take on Ireland and the U-17 squad meet Holland at Oundle ftom 5-10 August.

County Championship

Current County Champions, East Midlands, won the five-day competition in 1999 ousting Yorkshire from the title they had held for seven years. This year's competition takes place in Cambridge from 29 July to 2 August.

Club Cricket

The domestic season starts on Sunday 30 April with the preliminary round of the National Knock-Out Cup. Defending Champions, Yorkshire's North Riding CC, will battle with 41 other tewns to reach the final at Sheffield on Saturday 16 September. Premier League matches start on Saturday 13 May, with Southern Division's Invicta defending their title.

The revised age structure will bring additional interest to the new Under-19 and Under-17 Leagues when matches start on May 8. Both series are wide open with no existing title-holders. In the U15 league, title-holders Yorkshire will be looking for another success.

The annual Cricket Week from 13-18 August offers an opportunity for players of all ages and abilities to test their skills when they meet at Colwall, Worcestershire.