Geelong Cricket Club’s women’s team recruits some top end talent for debut first grade season

A Colac product and one of the country’s most promising female cricketers has joined Geelong for the Cats’ debut in Premier first grade this summer.

Geelong Cricket Club’s debut campaign in Premier women’s first grade has been bolstered by the addition of some top end talent and plenty of emerging youth expected to challenge for senior spots later in the summer.

Colac off spinner and top order batter Aanliya Cheeran, who has been playing in the Victorian Second XI cricket recently, will join the Cats for the 2023/24 season.

Cheeran was announced as one of the country’s most promising prospects last month, one of 26 players named in a short form series of under-19 matches at the National Cricket Campus in Brisbane.

Colac youngster Aanliya Cheeran has joined Geelong Cricket Club. Picture: CDCA Female Cricket.

Geelong CC’s director of coaching, Stephen Field, said Cheeran was an “incredible” offie who will bolster the top flight’s batting order.

Joining her is another local in Armstrong Creek leg spinner Grace Jones, who has received invaluable experience training with the Melbourne Renegades during the off-season.

“Her bowling has improved from year to year,” Field said.

“She’s going to be batting in the middle order, particularly during the T20 games.”

Armstrong Creek’s Grace Jones attempts to run out Barwon Heads batter Darcy Hewitt. Picture: Mark Wilson

Meanwhile, Gippsland product and former Prahan fast bowler Meika King will also suit up for the Cats.

“Along with Bronte Leishman, she’ll be our quickest bowler,” he said.

“And also adds a fair bit to our middle to lower order with the bat, a very powerful striker and she’ll be one of our elite fielders in the group.

“She’s an incredible athlete.”

The squad will also be strengthened by UK import Caitlin Burnett, who made more than 700 runs last season at an average of 100 for St Joseph’s in the GCA, who arrives this week.

Caitlin Burnett batting for St Joseph’s. Picture: Mark Wilson

Rounding off the quintet is Melbourne veteran Renee Moffitt.

“She’s had a pretty extensive Premier Cricket career,” he said.

“She’s been playing in Ballarat casually because she’s moved into the police force, she’ll add a lot to our top order batting.”

However, Eliza Jagger, who won the club’s second grade batting trophy last summer, has moved to Darwin.

Meika King combined cricket and study at Wesley College.

The club’s second and third grades will also have an abundance of young talent, with six from the state’s under-16 country state Emerging Players Program.

They include fast bowlers Ayva Mitchell, Ruby Gardiner and Grace Potter (Dunkeld), Anglesea’s Annie Taylor, Ballan off spinner and batter Sarah Burton, Inverleigh medium pacer and top order batter Chloe Sewell, plus fast bowler Eve Reghetti from the Castlemaine area.

“They’re all showing a huge amount of improvement,” Field said.

“Some of those will push up during the season, as they get stronger.

“Give them a year or two, they’ll be a dynamic group.”

Geelong’s promotion to first grade was reward for off field stability through coaching and administration, and results: the Cats won the second grade premiership and qualified for the third grade decider last summer.

“We did everything Cricket Victoria could have wanted,” he said of their 2022/23 performances.

“After a heap of washouts, we had to win every game at one point just to make the finals.

“We’ll be very competitive in all of the grades.

“We want to see all our players to understand what’s required at a higher level.”

Originally published as Geelong Cricket Club’s women’s team recruits some top end talent for debut first grade season