Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has launched a new three year programme that will encourage more girls under the age of 11 to take up cricket.

The scheme, run by Kent Cricket Board and sponsored by Southern Water is designed to boost the numbers of young female players at the grassroots level of the game.

Hugh Robertson, MP for Faversham, said “Kent is one of the leading counties for girls’ cricket, so it is great to see success at the top levels descended to the grass roots. None of this would be possible without commercial support such as that provided by Southern Water. So I am delighted to see the two organisations working together for young people in the sport.”

Sixty youngsters attended a training session at Leeds and Broomfield Cricket Club hosted by Kent and England player Lydia Greenway. Lydia played in the latest Ashes series in which England were victorious and was voted Wisden’s woman cricketer of the year in 2011.

Lydia said: “Financial support from companies like Southern Water gives us an opportunity to provide more coaching support and expose more girls to cricket. Starting them young helps to develop the standard of cricket across the county and internationally.”

The new partnership between Southern Water and KCB is part of the company’s “Sporting Chance” programme.