Seagulls embrace new ideas to secure maiden premiership

BARWON Heads’ inaugural top-grade premiership captain/coach Steph Theodore said she loved her first season at the club and was proud of the way the players embraced the challenges she threw down.

The Seagulls won the Geelong Cricket Association A grade women’s flag in their second season of existence against a gallant Geelong City Sharks outfit last Sunday at South Barwon Reserve.

Barwon Heads posted 6-148 thanks to Mikaela Monahan and player-of-the-match Theodore scoring 42 each and putting on a 68-run partnership through the middle order.

The Seagulls kept the Sharks to 9-126 from 30 overs with four run-outs, including two from Katrina Lumb.

Theodore, 54, moved to Anglesea from Essendon one year ago and previously played many years of first-class cricket for Victoria as well as for Australia in the mid-1990s.

Passionate about teaching the game to others, she said her step kids called her John Farnham because she’s made numerous comebacks to cricket.

Theodore said this season she changed it up by introducing more centre-wicket practice, running 3s between the wickets at training and helping the bowlers develop a stock ball, among other variations.

“The goal for me this year was just to get them to enjoy their cricket and be challenged.

“From the very first training to the last, the improvement in all those girls was awesome.”

It was also the Seagulls’ first women’s premiership in any grade.