By Tara Murray
The Gisborne and District Cricket Association’s women will take centre stage with the association’s first women’s representative sides.
The association will play two women’s representative matches against the Ballarat Cricket Association on January 15 and February 19.
Some of the best players in the competition are among those who have put their hands up to be part of the teams.
GDCA president Simon Ovenden said it was a pretty exciting opportunity for the competition and the women involved.
“It is fantastic and it’s a brilliant initiative by the Central Highlands [region],” he said. “The growth in the senior women’s competition has been fantastic and this is the natural progression.
“We’re really looking forward to it and super proud of the first representatives of the association in women’s cricket.
“We think they will do an excellent job.”
Ovenden said the GDCA was focused on making sure they had a proper representation of the local community in the competition, and women’s cricket was a big part of that.
Women’s representative cricket is rare in Victoria, making the association one of the few associations to have women’s representative cricket.
Ovenden said there was a lot of interest from the players to be involved in the matches. Some players will play in both matches, while some will play in one.
“There were several clubs and coaches contacting me multiple times wanting to know what was going on,” he said.
“It is really exciting and it’s a great initiative. Kim Bessell from Darley has won two MVPs [most valuable player awards] and Sarah Bamford from Bacchus Marsh have been two of the stars of the competition.
“They get the chance to show their skill set at another level. Nikola Cox is one of the leading wicket takers in the Jensen Shield seconds competition and she now has the opportunity to play with other women in the senior representative side.”
For many of the team, it will be the first time they get the opportunity to play on turf cricket and the games will be played under lights.
With the association having junior girls representative cricket for a number of years, this provides a continued pathway.
“This is one of the drivers,” Ovenden said. “We want to give junior girls pathways at a community level.
“You don’t have to go downtown to play senior cricket against women.”
The players selected to represent the association are Gisborne’s Brianna Woodburn, Ruby Watts and Ninna Harbinson, Lancefield’s Luzanne Paeglitis, Nat and Brooke Jeffrey, and Anita
McMaster, Malmbury’s Nikola Cox, Darley’s Kim Bessell and Brittany Ward, Bacchus Marsh’s Sarah Bamford and Ashley Gillard, Macedon’s Emily Wilkinson, Kilmore’s Taylah Logie and Wallan’s Megan Farrell, Kia Montgomery and Terrie Haydon.
The first game is being held at East Oval Ballarat from 6.15pm on January 15.
