By Tara Murray
Gisborne is heading in the right direction with its female cricket program in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association women’s league.
After reforming a team last season and playing in the GDCA competition for the first time, the Dragons have continued to go from strength to strength.
Team manager and player Rachel Carmichael said it was pretty exciting to see where they had come from.
“Last year we weren’t sure what it was going to look like,” she said. “We didn’t know how many players we would have and if we could have enough for a team.
“There was more and more interest and more wanted to get involved in the GDCA. We decided to get the team up and running and it has helped the junior program as well.”
Carmichael said the GDCA had a strong women’s competition and it flowed through into their junior programs as well.
She said seeing the competition have representative women’s cricket for the first time also showed that you could play at a high level locally.
The Dragons team this season is a real mixture of players.
“We’ve got some players who have played over 100 games,” Carmichael said. “We’ve got others who may be in their second season of cricket.
“We’re excited by the mix.”
Carmichael said the junior side had picked up since Christmas. The club has two under-13 girls teams this season.
Star player Brianna Woodburn has taken on the coaching role for the Dragons. Woodburn, used to play for the side, before it folded and returned to the club last season.
Carmichael said she was doing a really good job.
“She’s really put a big focus on the team,” she said. “She has so much experience and talent and it’s nice to have her there for the younger girls.
“They look up to her and see that local cricket is a place they can play.”
Carmichael said they’d had good support from the rest of the club, with the men’s sides regularly at matches and helping them at training.
The Dragons faced Macedon on Sunday in a battle between third and fourth.
It was the Cats that got the job done.
The Cats made 5-201 from their overs, with the Dragons finishing 3-168. Woodburn made 71 before having to retire.
Carmichael said before the match that it was an important one..
“If we win, we will be reasonably safe and make it into finals,” she said. “If we lose, we could still play finals but it will be more challenging.
“It’s exciting and it’s a good place to be.”
The Dragons sit in fourth spot with two rounds remaining.
Carmichael said they were keen to continue to build their women’s program up
“First, it’ll be good to have the players continue on and come back,” she said. “We would like to have a second team as we have such a broad range of abilities.
“We have some young and talented players and others new to the sport. We want to make sure that everyone gets a go.
“That is the goal, if not next year the next after.”
