Chicks chase flag

PAKENHAM Upper women’s cricket team will play in the grand final for the Victorian Women’s Cricket Association one-day south-east competition this weekend at their home ground, Harry Blackburn Reserve.
It’s been a long but rewarding road for Pakenham Upper with the team beginning in 2002/3 season when player Katie Garth (nee Ashley) noticed the lack of opportunity for women to play cricket when they were too old for juniors.
With the support of the Pakenham Upper/Toomuc they decided to try and start a team.
Despite struggling in the early years, the women played with great enthusiasm and enjoyment.
They have reached semi-finals twice before, but were washed out in the 2005 semi-final.
Last year’s semi-final was also washed out but – because PUT finished second on the ladder – they progressed to the grand final, where they lost to Mornington, two matches to one.
The south-east competition is a 40-over one-day competition, although this year the introduction of a lot of Twenty20 games made it difficult to hone players’ skills.
This year the PUT women finished on top and are looking to go one better than last year.
PUT lost five players before the start of the season, none more important than founder Katie Garth who had a baby in January, and captain-coach of the previous two years Vicki Downes who also won the association bowling award last year with 29 wickets.
With only eight players when indoor training started in August, but with some great recruiting was able to start the season with a full team.
Andy Connor was appointed as coach and his enthusiasm and mentoring has helped improve everyone’s skills, and the proof is in reaching the finals again with several first-year players.
It wasn’t a rosy start to the season. The team lost the first two rounds in close matches but improved each week as the women under Conner’s guidance continued to work hard.
Team spirit was high and it wasn’t long before the team experienced the winning feeling. PUT finished the home-and-away season with a 10/3 win-loss ratio that was extended to 11/3 after convincingly winning the semi-final against Brighton District.
PUT had a consistent season with bat and ball considering the five wash-outs they have had, and are very proud of their bowling attack – Leanne Baker, Tiffany Hawkins, Jess Perri, Natalia Crosby and Katie Pardoe taking around 70 wickets so far.
PUT is also looking to develop players and as such 10 players have bowled this season with every one of them taking a wicket.
The batting is built around the experienced players, captain Rayleen Cooper, vice-captain Leanne Baker and Katie Pardoe, which has worked well – nearly every player has achieved a personal best with the bat this season.
The fielding was exceptional during the semi-final and hopefully that will continue into the final.
Any women interested in playing cricket next season can visit the team’s website; there is no age barrier in the PUT team with players’ ages ranging from 16 to 50-plus.
The team for the grand final is: Rayleen Cooper (captain), Leanne Baker (vice-captain), Katie Pardou, Cassie Ager, Natalie Crosby, Jess Perri, Tiffany Hawkins, Wendy Burton, Shannon Barnes, Stacey Hilder, Briana Ager and Deborah Baddock.
Anyone is welcome to come down and support the only women’s cricket team in the Shire of Cardinia. The game starts at 1pm Saturday and Sunday.