Highlands girls enjoying cricket

Three clubs from the region – Barkers Creek Cricket Club, Gisborne Cricket Club and Golden Point Cricket Club – received support from the State Government through Cricket Victoria’s Harmony in Cricket projects to help female cricketers participate in the game.

Funding was provided to clubs to supply club equipment, including bats, pads, helmets, gloves and thigh pads to assist in getting girls to play cricket.

This season, Golden Point fielded two girls teams in the under-13 and under-14 Ballarat Cricket Association competition.

“The main driver of getting the girls’ teams up and running has been Simon Ogilvie who started the first girls team and coached that team until the second team came into it,” Golden Point Secretary John Ogilvie said.

“An all-girls team provides girls, who don’t want to play in a boys team, the chance to play cricket but some of the girls come to play without equipment so the support has been good.

“We have built a good reputation because this year girls knew where to go if they wanted to play.”

Golden Point showed its strength throughout the season with the club providing 10 cricketers for the under-14 and under-16 Central Highlands pathway team.

Ogilvie also noted that the region is now at a stage where the Ballarat Cricket Association is looking to develop its own girls competition.

Throughout 2014-15, Gisborne Cricket Club saw 20 girls playing the game across their junior divisions.

Junior Coordinator Alicia Vernon acknowledged that their program had been well-received and that the girls got a lot of enjoyment out of it.

“They all love it and are always at training, it’s great to see,” Vernon said.

Barkers Creek used their funding to assist in getting an all-girls team in the Castlemaine District Cricket Association’s under-13 competition.

With 11 girls participating and two girls selected to play pathways for Central Highlands, Barkers Creek junior coach David Semmens noted that putting together an all-girls team had made a difference in getting numbers.

“A few of the girls would’ve backed away if it wasn’t an all-girls team,” Semmens said.

“It makes a different.”

Semmens also acknowledged that the grant was vital in getting the team up and running.

“To get the helmets and gear all new was really good,” Semmens said.

“The girls that play pathway can also access the gear so parents don’t have to outlay the costs until they know their children are sure they want to continue.

“Without the grant we would’ve struggled to get it off the ground.”