Sport
29 January, 2024
Under 14 girls returning to Country Week looking for more wins after 2023 breakthrough
Junior representative cricket will continue into February, with the return of the under 14 Just For Girls competition for the Wendy Gray Shield beginning on Sunday. After winning their first ever game last year thanks to success against Grampians...
Junior representative cricket will continue into February, with the return of the under 14 Just For Girls competition for the Wendy Gray Shield beginning on Sunday.
After winning their first ever game last year thanks to success against Grampians, the Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) will look to continue their improvement across the competition.
In a further boost, Carisbrook will be hosting the finals of the competition on Sunday, February 11, with a bonanza of cricket to be held across both grounds at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve.
The first week of competition will see Maryborough travel to Muckleford for their first game against Gisborne Green at 10 am on Sunday, before a quick trip to Newstead to play against Castlemaine at 2 pm.
After that, the team will reconvene in a week, before taking on Gisborne White in their final round-robin game at Carisbrook on February 11, before playing their final game later in the day.
Coach and co-ordinator for the MDCA, Leigh Koop, is keen to see how the girls back up their performances from last year, which saw them steadily improve as the tournament went on, leading to their historic victory.
“It’s exciting. It’s part of the growth and progression points in how they come off the back of their training and putting their practice into play. It’s great to have the girls active in community sport and representing the district in community sport and for the brand of cricket,” he said.
Koop also registered his excitement for the carnival finishing up in Carisbrook, and also urged the community to get behind the cause to help the team out where they can.
“It’s local to the area. Everyone is happy to support and get behind it,” he said.
“We have all the resources on behalf of the Association, and if we can have people that are welcome to commit to it, register and be engaged in it, they’re more than welcome to join in the program and be part of the girls being together and growing their skills and overall growth in cricket.”
Koop believes the continued improvement at representative level has left junior cricket in a good place.
Having seen the under 15 boys top their group during their Country Week campaign, as well as the under 17s Kirton Shield team take two victories during their tournament, Koop believes there’s plenty left in the tank for the under 14 girls to add to the MDCA’s terrific Country Week performances at junior level.
“Junior cricket is in a good place off the back of our successes and having our clubs support it, with young players in the junior competitions. With young girls coming into the program from the MDCA, it’s a chance to play at representative level and be together in a great game,” he said.
Koop believes there will be more breakout performances after seeing the likes of Tamika Loone-Grundy and Izabella Adam play well in last season’s edition, and will also have a leadership group to help guide the girls throughout the week.
“Tamika Loone-Grundy had a breakout performance last season and took her opportunities, and we can look forward to some leadership roles between Arabella Koop, Amity Palmer and Ella Govan, and they’ll keep progressing in the right way to lead the group forward,” he said.
“We have the support and the guidance, and as the coach and co-ordinator, I just love seeing the girls getting into the game.”