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Cricket coaches are campaigning to engage more girls in the game but are hitting a barrier because Asian parents are reluctant to allow their daughters to participate in a largely male sport.

Girls at Abraham Moss High School are proving to be big hitters at the wicket but coaches are unable to develop team skills because the girls do not attend sessions outside the school day.

Organisers are now trying to involve Asian families in supporting female sides to encourage more women of all races to take up the sport.

Frank Connelly

He said: "I go in to Abraham Moss and work with the pupils, which is great, but we struggle with some of the Asian girls. We have some very talented female players but it's hard to get them to come along to clubs.

"At Cheetham Hill, we have u15s and u17s teams made up predominantly of Asian boys and their parents don't mind. With girls, we really need a female Asian coach or some Asian women willing to support our training sessions."

The club also has a boys u13s team and attracts between 50 and 60 for practise sessions every Friday and two north Manchester teams, Our Lady's and Abraham Moss, are in the Manchester Schools Finals on July 3 and 5.

Frank said: "It's generally grammar schools who get through to the finals so we're really pleased that these schools have got through. The boys cricket at Cheetham Hill is very strong. We could field several teams.

"We have about half a dozen girls coming down for practise but we need more to get regular games."

The girls last week played an exhibition match at Old Trafford at half time and have been invited back for the match against Yorkshire on Tuesday.