A FESTIVAL of Weber Women’s Big Bash League cricket will be held in Ballarat this weekend.<\/p>\n
Over four matches between Saturday, 29 and Monday 31 October, five teams will play at the Eastern Oval, including the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars on the afternoon of the first day of action.<\/p>\n
Melbourne Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said the club is ready to celebrate their homecoming, as they haven\u2019t played a WBBL match in Victoria for more than 1000 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cBallarat is part of our Renegades heartland and we\u2019re thrilled to be back hosting matches here this season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ballarat Festival of Cricket is going to be a great event, showcasing some of Australia and the world\u2019s best cricketers… across an action-packed weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melbourne Stars head coach Jonathan Batty said the team is keen to be back in the state, having started their season on the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite not having a win yet, we’ve shown our ability in patches, now it’s about putting it all together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m really looking forward to seeing what we can produce against the Renegades on Saturday. It’s no secret that we love playing against them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s so much talent on the pitch from our internationals Jemi Rodrigues, Alice Capsey and Lauren Winfield-Hill who have all represented their country, along with Annabel Sutherland, through to the likes of Kim Garth and Tess Flintoff who are rising through the ranks of Australian cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
The WBBL event will also include music, food vendors, and entertainment, but City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said it\u2019s about celebrating women in sport, most of all.<\/p>\n
\u201cPromoting women\u2019s sport is a priority for the City of Ballarat as part of our focus on implementation of the Active Women and Girls Strategy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is events like this that will see women\u2019s sport continue to grow in Ballarat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The festival fixture on Saturday sees Hobart Hurricanes play Sydney Sixers at 10.15am, before Melbourne Renegades go up against the Melbourne Stars at 2pm.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Melbourne Renegades will play Sydney Sixers at 3pm, and Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder will clash on Monday at 3pm.<\/p>\n
Today, Friday, 28 October, the Melbourne Renegades are hosting a school clinic at the Eastern Oval from 1pm to 2pm.<\/p>\n