Greg Curtain has recently been appointed as community cricket co-ordinator for the Marist Cricket Club in Christchurch.

He will be working in a full-time role with his initial focus being on re-establishing a junior section for the club. Curtain will also have a focus on assisting with the transition of players from local secondary schools to the club and ensuring the structures are in place within the senior section of the club to cater for these players.

Curtain has a strong coaching background. He is the coach of the St Bede's first XI and over recent years he has coached at CCA underage level and spent three years coaching in the Netherlands, including the Dutch women's national team at the CricInfo Women's World Cup.

He is the second person who has been employed as a community cricket co-ordinator in Christchurch and joins part of an expanding group of people around New Zealand who are employed in the sport and are specifically targeting the promotion and revitalisation of grass roots cricket. West Coast Cricket, in conjunction with West Coast Hockey, has recently appointed a community cricket co-ordinator, and South Canterbury Cricket will shortly be making a similar appointment.

Curtain commented: "My aims are to increase family involvement in the game by promoting New Zealand Cricket initiatives involving the Milo programmes. Providing coaching courses for all interested parents and implementing playing and coaching structures at secondary school and club levels within the local community will also be a main focus."

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