IT’S one of the fastest growing female participation sports in the country – and it’s about to take the Swan Hill region by storm as well.
The Murray Downs Diamonds are just one of over 5000 all-girls cricket teams from across Australia and for the second straight season will pad up in the recently formed Wimmera Girls Cricket League.
While the Diamonds will spend this summer playing against teams from Stawell, Horsham and across the Wimmera, the Swan Hill & District Cricket Association has their sights firmly set on expanding their footprint and developing their own girls’ league in the coming seasons, according to Diamonds coach Alan Hatcher, who spoke with The Guardian recently.
“The plan is to have our own competition, so we want to try and get as many girls and women involved, not just in playing, but coaching and as team managers as well,” Hatcher said.
“If we could get 20 to 24 players committed, that sort of allows about seven to eight players per team for three sides – currently, in the Wimmera League, you need six players per team and we would be looking to go down a similar path, so we’re already halfway there.”
Having started with just seven players last year, that number has swelled to 12 ahead of the Diamonds’ second season, but Hatcher is confident they haven’t even scratched the surface of what could be achieved.
“With COVID, it’s been very difficult to get into the schools and promote what we are doing – the girls who are playing have been the biggest promotors, because they’ve brought their friends along and help driven the team, but we’d love to get into all the schools next year and really push the message to help get our own competition up and running,” Hatcher said.
“The girls that we had last year have all come back this season, which is great, because they’re the ones that have brought extra players along – not only that, to see their improvement from last season to this season already is just huge.”
Fourteen-year-old Mia Hansen is one of those returning players who have been so vital to the promotion of the Diamonds, having started her cricketing journey in an all to common theme for young girls in the past.
“I filled in for one of the boys’ Under-13 games last year and ‘Hatch’ (Hatcher) was coaching and he approached me and asked if I wanted to join the girls’ team,” Hansen said.
“It was a great experience last year and was so much fun playing with all the girls in particular – it was so enjoyable that I couldn’t wait to play again this year.”
One such young girl, now many moons ago, who started her cricketing journey against the boys, is Diamonds assistant coach Melissa Caffrey.
Caffrey would go on to represent both Victoria and South Australia at state cricket and is as proud as punch to see the path that women’s cricket, particularly the Murray Downs Diamonds, is now on.
“Back in my day, it wasn’t normal for young girls to play junior boys’ cricket, there wasn’t the girls’ pathway there is today. Young girls had to play senior women’s cricket, so a lot of talented girls missed out – but now, they’re exposed to not only the Swan Hill District junior competition, but they also have the opportunity to play against other young girls,” Caffrey said.
“It’s really important that they have the opportunity to play in the girls’ competition, as the pace and power of some young boys are more developed than young girls at the same age, however the skill set and the technicality of the game is exactly the same.
“One thing about playing against other girls is it can be a great confidence builder – some of our girls are younger and less experienced and when you’re coming up against boys who are already two feet taller, it can be a bit daunting.
“Seeing other girls and women playing cricket in regional competitions or on TV is great to see and it gives the girls the confidence that it’s a sport for everyone.”
The Murray Downs Diamonds are still looking for girls aged 10 to 17 to join their team for the upcoming season. If you or anyone you know is interested in playing, training is every Wednesday night from 5.15pm at the Swan Hill Recreation Reserve Cricket nets.
