Overview
County Age Group (CAG) cricket provides the opportunity for our very best players to test themselves against the best players in other counties.
Boys CAG sides are run from under 10s to under 18s and these are supported by Shadow squads at most age groups. Lead CAG Coaches run their own winter training programmes to ensure players are prepared mentally and physically for the challenging season ahead.
Players who play at CAG level have the opportunity to showcase their talents which may lead to selection for the Dorset Emerging players Programme EPP programmes for boys or even a First Class county Academy programme.
Dorset Cricket Board Selection policy
The Dorset Cricket Board is responsible for the organisation of County Age Group representative cricket.
Each boys age group has a dedicated Lead Coach who is responsible for the operations of their age group. They will aim to develop all players involved and help them to fulfil that potential over time.
The Lead Coaches are supported by the Head of Pathway, with a mission to deliver the best coaching we can provide to our players. The Lead Coach and Head of Pathway will have the final decision in the selection of their respective CAG side.
At younger age groups (Boys under 10s & 11s) assessments are held during the Autumn of each year with those identified from the process being asked to join winter training programmes, which get underway in October/November.
From Boys under 12s age group, we will select the County and Shadow squads based on the knowledge of the coaches.
We do not believe that the door is ever shut to players at any age and we ask clubs to continue to put forward players to the CAG Lead coaches at all times. We would expect any player being put forward for assessment by a club to be consistently performing at the same level as County or Shadow squad members at their respective age group.
The Board recognises that selection can be a difficult and subjective process but fully supports the Lead Coaches and Heads of Pathway in their final decisions.
Anyone with a grievance regarding selection should contact the CAG Lead Coach first but only if they have grounds for believing that unfair practice has occurred. This must be supported by evidence. If the issue cannot be resolved with the CAG Lead Coach then the matter should be escalated to the respective Head of Pathway.
The Dorset Cricket Board believes that Cricket is a sport which encourages fair play and teaches discipline, as well as helping children to deal with disappointment and overcome it. The Board encourages all players not selected to work hard, improving their skills and make their way back into contention for selection. All representative cricket is very competitive and it is a great honour for any player to be selected. It requires hard work, dedication and commitment. The Board ask that parents understand that it is not possible for the coaches to get every decision 100 per cent correct and encourage all players to prove that they are worthy of selection.
