Central Districts has chosen Horowhenua Kapiti as the recipient of its pilot scheme to implement New Zealand Cricket's new strategy for club cricket.

NZC's national development manager Alec Astle has formulated a scheme which is intended to strengthen the game at grassroots level following an NZC sponsored think tank last year.

CD chief executive Blair Furlong said the scheme will start on October 15 when CD staff do a health check of clubs in the association to find out their immediate requirements.

Clubs will be invited to Horowhenua College on Monday, October 15 and Paraparaumu College, on October 17 to sit down and go through the scheme with the CD officials.

The health check, a process which will be completed through CD's other seven associations by the end of the 2001/02 season, is aimed at looking at the management and organisation of each club, the game on and off the field and the club's facilities.

In a note to each of the club's concerned Furlong said: "We realise that not all clubs are structured the same. Please use your own judgment to invite as you see fit.

"From the health check we will identify the needs of your club.

"Although we are not able to presume the outcome of the health check, we feel that we do have some understanding of issues all clubs are faced with.

CD personnel attending the checks will be, Furlong, Mark Greatbatch, Bob Mitchell, Gary Pond, Nigel Brooke and John Fluker.

It is CD's intention to have a coach available for each club, one night a week for 20 weeks, to help with individual coaching.

By completing the health checks at other associations by the end of the season, CD will be in a position to assess which associations can be funded in the second year on the support provided by New Zealand Cricket, while all associations will be covered after three years.

Women's club cricket will not be overlooked and a CD-wide assessment of the status of the women's game will be made during the season.

As part of the overall plan, each association will eventually appoint a local community development officer. The CDO will be responsible for upskilling club coaches, liaising with secondary schools for their health checks, assisting the programme, assisting in the appointment of a women's cricket co-ordinator and attending practices to assist a club coach, and where unable to assist arranging with the CD development manager to get help.

© CricInfo