Armstrong Creek leg-spinner named as Renegades Recruit

ARMSTRONG Creek Cricket Club and Geelong Cricket Club leg-spinner Grace Jones has been named the winner of this year’s Female Melbourne Renegades Recruit competition.

The 18-year-old bowler edged out Recruit competitors Maryam Omar and Eve Sheehan by way of a public vote to emerge victorious.

Jones’ win earned her a spot to train with the Melbourne Renegades’ Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) squad as the team prepares for the coming campaign.

“I’m so keen to experience what it’s like to be in and around a professional group of girls playing cricket and chasing their dreams,” she said.

“Everyone back home; family, friends, Armstrong Creek, all of the lovely ladies and gentlemen there will be so pumped.”

Jones, a member of the Geelong CC in Victorian Premier Cricket and Armstrong Creek CC (men’s side) in the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association, takes great pride in outsmarting her opponents and taking big wickets.

“Grace is probably the most impressive bowler we had in this (year’s) Renegades Recruit,” WBBL head coach Simon Helmot said.

Armstrong Creek CC president Barry Mills said the club was extremely excited for Jones.

“She is a tremendous cricketer, and we could not be any happier for her.

“We had Armstrong Creek players canvassing the whole of Geelong for her in the lead up to the voting and we are just thrilled with the result.”

Jones also received $1,000 worth of Kookaburra merchandise and $2,000 for her local club, and a 55-inch TCL LED Smart TV.