Junior Coaching Staff

We are fortunate to have some of the very best coaches in New Zealand working in the junior club, to ensure that not only are they helping our players to develop technically but also to develop our senior, development and volunteer coaches. We are the only junior club in Christchurch that focuses on coaching our coaches.

Maria Lankeshwar
Director of Coaching & Player Development

Maria has been involved in the junior club for more than 5 years. She represented the White Ferns and then moved into the pathway of becoming a coach. Maria’s accolades in coaching extend from NZ Women’s A team to Magicians. Maria is a level 3 NZ cricket coach and is considered one of the best New Zealand has to offer. Maria’s role with the club is in Player Development, technically assisting our players, but also a large part of her role is ensuring that our volunteer coaches are well resourced and provided with support and guidance. Coaching is so rewarding, but it also can be challenging, so we like to ensure that our volunteer coaches are fully supported. Maria is also responsible for developing our staff coaches, ensuring that they continue to challenge themselves in their coaching and have individual pathways mapped out for them.

Beth Dodd, Senior Coach

Beth has just started her journey with the junior cricket club, and we are so delighted that she has joined us. Beth is currently in a co-coaching role for our premier womens team and co-captains the premier womens team. Beth recently won the Christchurch Metro allrounder womens cricketer of the year, after scoring the most runs and taking the most wickets, no easy feat. Beth was also instrumental in winning the premier womens grade, which hasn’t been done by Sydenham in more than 10 years. Beth is a level 2 EB UK qualified coach and now is involved in the New Zealand Level 3 coaching clinics, which is invitation only, so we are delighted for Beth to be able to follow in Maria’s footsteps. Beth’s role is focusing on technical development of our players, but she is also involved with coaching our coaches and assisting Maria to ensure our coaches are well resourced. Having run several cricket academies in the UK for Junior, youth and women’s cricketers, we are so fortunate to have Beth’s expertise.