Enniskillen Cricket Club, which was re-established last year after 28 years in hibernation, held a successful event to launch its new kit at Pat’s Bar in Enniskillen last week.

The event was attended by North West Warriors and Ireland international cricket star Craig Young, together with the North West Cricket Union’s Club and Partnership Officer, Brian Allen.

Also in attendance were a number of members of the club’s committee and representatives from the club’s newest sponsors.

The club has had a busy off-season with player recruitment ongoing and regular training sessions taking place at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum, as well as at the club’s home ground at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School (ERGS).

The biggest development across the winter has been the registration of the club in the North West League Four Cup competition, in which it has been drawn against local rivals, North Fermanagh 2nd XI, in the first round.

The kit launch was preceded by a number of cricket coaching sessions at local schools, including Maguiresbridge Primary School and Lisbellaw Primary School.

Delivered

The sessions were delivered by Ireland star Craig Young, Brian Allen and Enniskillen Cricket Club’s two Cricket Ireland-accredited coaches, father and son duo Kenny and Stephen Maxwell, who is also the club’s Captain.

The coaching sessions were greatly enjoyed by all who took part and Young was even presented with a birthday cake at Maguiresbridge Primary School by a staff member who had realised that it was his birthday!

After the coaching sessions, the group headed down to Pat’s Bar in Enniskillen for the formal kit launch, where the new kit was worn in public for the first time by the club committee members in attendance.

Club Chairman and player David Cadden spoke on behalf of the club, highlighting how the club’s journey to re-establishing itself began in 2019 with only himself and father and son team Kenny and Stephen Maxwell, but had now grown to a player base of around 25 players with a small but highly-motivated committee working hard behind the scenes.

He went on to say that the club was “delighted” to have launched its new kit, whose design and co-ordination of production was largely the work of club and committee member Mick Lodge.

Cadden went on to say that the club was very much “looking forward to the upcoming 2022 season with entry to the cup competition and friendlies organised”.

Pride

Club Captain Stephen Maxwell commented on his pride of having the honour to wear the new kit as Captain of the club, pointing out how “surreal” it was for the club to be at this stage, given where it was just a year ago.

He set out the club’s ethos, stating that: “Enniskillen Cricket Club is a diverse and multi-cultural club; we’ve people from all different walks of life, and that’s the environment we want to create – where people feel comfortable and that everyone has a place in the club.”

He spoke of the progress the team has made over the winter since the challenging first few matches the club played in its first season, highlighting the massive potential of individual players in the squad and the fact that the team has really bonded during its training sessions and social events over the winter.

“All the pieces are falling into place, and hopefully the results will reflect that.”

The kit launch marks the beginning of the Ernesiders’ second season since re-establishing. Their first match in the North West League Four cup against local rivals North Fermanagh, that will take place on July 24.

The club’s first game of the season will be a friendly this Saturday, April 16, against a Victoria XI away at Lurgan Park.