By JARROD POTTER
AFTER spending most of last season adrift, the Pakenham Upper-Toomuc women’s cricket team has re-emerged for season 2014/15.
Pakenham Upper-Toomuc had to withdraw its team from the VWCA South-East Zone competition near the start of the 2013/14 season as numbers dwindled, but the new season in the newly formed competition proved too an exciting prospect for the Yabbies.
The team will feature in the Women’s Community Cricket Competition (WCCC) South-East Division, following the integration of the Victorian Women’s Cricket Association and Cricket Victoria. Club president and all-rounder Vicky Hilder is proud the club has bounced back and is preparing for the season ahead.
“It was pretty difficult – having a season out – even with the season before and we tied for a premiership,” Hilder said.
“We lost a lot of our players but we’ve got a lot of new people playing now… we just want to experience enjoying cricket again.”
The club still needs more numbers to safeguard the team against injuries, with only 12 players currently available to play for the Yabbies.
The club is buoyant after its final pre-season friendly and gearing up for its first clash on Sunday.
“It’s fantastic- the girls had such a good day yesterday playing in a friendly and it was good to have the boys up there to support us… feels like a whole club again,” Hilder said.
“We’re always looking for numbers and anybody is welcome to come down and play.
“It’s a family friendly club, so anyone who has children playing (cricket) or has nothing to do on a Sunday and has some time, are welcome to come down.”
The club has appointed Cass Ager as its captain with Trish Garth the vice-captain for the season ahead.
Hilder praised Cricket Victoria for its support of getting the club back up and creating the new WCCC.
“They’ve done a really good job to get it to work – very open to see how it was going to be run,” Hilder said.
“All they want to do is the best they can for all the clubs and they’ve been great… really open and honest and they’re constantly for us.”
For more information on Pakenham Upper-Toomuc’s women’s cricket team, contact Cass Ager on 0400 100 022.
The Yabbies first match is a home-game against Ringwood at Pakenham Upper Recreation Reserve on Sunday 12 October.
