WOMEN around the wicket were highlighted recently with cricket matches played over the week in the leadup to International Women\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n
Organised through the Ballarat Cricket Association, the initiative has seen female-led matches taking place since Friday last week. <\/p>\n
BCA female subcommittee chair Peta Guy said the games have been a successful showcase of women in the sport. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really good so far,\u201d she said. \u201cWe settled the top four for our semi-finals. We had a huge audience on Sunday at Alfredton with lots of people watching. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really important to highlight female participation in cricket. Half the world\u2019s population is made up of women and cricket\u2019s an excellent game for them to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than a dozen matches have been organised as part of the initiative, which will lead into a Good Friday game against the Bendigo Cricket Association to mark 150 years of women\u2019s cricket on the goldfields. <\/p>\n
Sunday saw the BCA\u2019s first ever intra-association matches between its eastern and western clubs at Alfredton Recreation Reserve which also served as a selection round for the anniversary match.<\/p>\n
Ms Guy said the 1874 occasion was a watershed moment for women\u2019s cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe event is celebrating the absolute first recorded women\u2019s game in Australia,\u201d she said. \u201cIt predates the recorded women\u2019s games as far in England too as far as we can tell. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was reported Australia-wide and overseas so it\u2019ll be a celebration of the fact we\u2019re still going after 150 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone enjoyed themselves during the inaugural match on Sunday.<\/p>\n
“The East side won, and everyone wants to come back and do it again so we\u2019ll be doing it in future years.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the majority of events having taken place, the final round of the weeks\u2019 worth of games will occur this evening from 5pm. <\/p>\n
The series will see under 14s matches between Mt Clear and Buninyong at Mount Clear Recreation Reserve, Golden Point against East Ballarat Opals at White Flat Oval, and Ballarat Redan versus Lucas at Alfredton Reserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WOMEN around the wicket were highlighted recently with cricket matches played over the week in the leadup to International Women\u2019s Day. Organised through the Ballarat Cricket Association, the initiative has seen female-led matches taking place since Friday last week. BCA female subcommittee chair Peta Guy said the games have been a successful showcase of women […]<\/p>\n