The future is now for Macedon in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association women’s league.
With some talented juniors coming through the ranks, the Cats have four of their under-15 girls also playing in their women’s side this season.
Team manager and player Kym Riley said they were focused on having a pathway for their female program.
“It’s looking pretty good,” she said. “We’ve got some juniors coming up and playing for us this season which is really good.
“We want to give them an opportunity to play at the next level. The program is going pretty well.
“There’s a lot of interest in the under-13s and there’s about 12 girls in the 15s and we’re trying to bridge that gap to the women’s team.
“It’s been really positive.”
Coming off a grand final last season, which was ultimately washed out, the Cats have had some changes to the team.
Riley said they’d had some players not come back which had opened up some opportunities.
Making sure the program has these different opportunities is important to the Cats including a number of clinics over the off season.
Caity Shaw has spent the our winter playing with English side Thame and had a good winter over there. Matilda Berns, who has also played at Macedon but has joined Coburg, also played for Thame during the winter.
“It’s fantastic, she [Shaw] has lived the dream over there.
“There’s plenty of opportunity which is great especially in women’s cricket.”
Riley said they were already seeing the impact of those clinics, with batting out their overs something they were really working on.
Macedon has a 1-1 record having had a bye in round three.
The competition split into A and B grade competitions after round two, to allow the new teams an opportunity to find their feet.
The A competition has since dropped from seven teams to six teams with Darley unable to field a team so far.
Riley said they liked the opportunity to play every week instead of having byes in the middle.
Having made last season’s grand final, Riley said they wanted to again finish at the pointy end of the season.
“We want to be competitive every match and make finals again,” she said. “We definitely would like to be in the grand final again this season.
“We missed out last season. We see Bacchus Marsh as the team to beat and Wallan as well.”
There was no women’s action on the weekend due to the long weekend.
The Cats face last season’s premiers Bacchus Marsh this Sunday.
The Bulls are yet to play a full game with a forfeit, bye and wash out in the first three rounds.
Riley said it would be a good test for the Cats.
