By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Junction Cricket Club are searching for new Womens and Junior cricketers ahead of the new season.
The Women’s team are heading into their third season and looking to build upon their strong improvement.
Women’s Head Coach and Junior Coordinator Mike Ainsley said the Women’s side has managed to keep the core of the team they’ve had since day one.
“It is brilliant, and a lot of teams are set to enter the RDCA competition this year, so there will now be four grades. There’s a lot of competition to get new players in,” he said.
“The use of social media can be a brilliant thing so we thought we’d get our voice out there, it can’t hurt when trying to get some new players recruited.
The Eagles just missed out on finals last year, finishing fifth in Division B Blue Grade.
Mr Ainsley said the side’s progress is a testament to the girls’ efforts.
“We finished bottom in our first year but managed to get two wins that season, which is two more than we thought we’d get. They’ve been training hard since day one and we were not too far from a finals berth last year with four wins, which shows a ton of improvement,” he said.
“We’ve lost a couple of players, but brought a few in as well so the balance of the side will be similar. We’ll be playing a lot more one day games this season, rather than T20’s which we had to due to Covid restrictions.”
Lisa Hill and Carly Miller are the team’s premier batters, while they also had two of the best bowlers in the competition in Ameilia Kuth and Alannah Bomford.
Mr Ainsley said the girls are looking forward to playing more one-day cricket.
“It is definitely our strong point, and where we get the most runs and wickets. It definitely feels stronger than our T20 stuff,” he said.
“We are hoping for a big season from Alannah Bomford, who took out the league bowling average last season and Ameilia Kuth who is probably one of the quickest bowlers in the league.”
Unfortunately, the situation for the juniors is looking dire, with a lack of players being seen around the league.
Mr Ainsley said a merger is on the cards.
“Juniors are the future of all clubs, and it’s pretty tough in the Valley at the moment trying to get kids back playing cricket after Covid. We are talking to a couple of clubs in Woori Yallock and Launching Place, which will hopefully be the plan this season,” he said.
“The last thing we want is to have three clubs, fielding five or six players so hopefully we get teams for each of the age groups and kids get the most enjoyment out by having a full team.”
Anyone interested in playing can contact Mike Ainsley at 0491 678 420 or juniors can also contact Carly Millar at 0410 592 426.
