CHIPPING Sodbury Cricket Club has continued its investment in local cricket with the addition of eight new coaches.

The qualification of eight club members as England and Wales Cricket Board Level One coaches brings to the local area a rich resource of skills and knowledge.

The club's aim is to use the coaches to introduce and develop cricket among Yate and Sodbury's young people in an environment of safety and enjoyment.

The coaches passed their assessment in the months before Christmas and since February have been coaching the club's under 13 and under 15 squads at Yate Leisure Centre.

With the season now in full swing, the youth players are training outdoors at Sodbury's home ground, near to the Wickwar Road and St John's Way junction.

CSCC youth secretary and coach Mark Reynolds has already seen the benefits.

He said: "The guys that have recently qualified have already made a great impact at the club. They're bringing to the boys and girls a level of coaching which may have been lacking in the past. You can see it in the under 11s' eyes. They're mustard keen for it."

Sodbury Town Council awarded the grant that enabled the cricket club to put their members through the coaching assessment.

Under 11s and under 13s training takes place every Tuesday evening from 6.15pm to 8pm at Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club.

For more information on this and the under 15s and under 17s training times, visit www.chippingsodburycc.co.uk, or phone Mark Reynolds on 01454 314147.