Victorian Premier Cricket: Vaishnavi Munukutla steers Box Hill to heartstopping Women’s grand final win
Box Hill’s 19-year-old skipper steered her side to the Victorian Premier Cricket Women’s flag in dramatic fashion the Mustangs clinched a heartstopping grand final victory. Here’s how it played out.
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Box Hill’s 19-year-old skipper steered her side to the Victorian Premier Cricket Women’s flag in dramatic fashion the Mustangs clinched a heartstopping grand final victory over Geelong.
The triumph marked the end of a seven-year premiership hiatus for the Mustangs, who famously won four flags in five years between the 2013/14 and 2017/18 seasons.
Box Hill’s pursuit of Geelong’s 9-166 at Shepley Oval on Saturday came down to the final over and wicket in the one-day decider, with skipper Vaishnavi Munukutla fittingly crunching the winning runs through the on side with five balls to spare.
Munukutla played a crucial innings and finished with an unbeaten 25 from 37 balls. Box Hill coach Michael Vozzo lauded the teenager’s composure with the bat in the high-pressure run chase.
“25 not out under immense pressure was outstanding … she did an amazing job,” Vozzo said of her knock.
“We didn’t lose any quick wickets which was really good, a lot of our girls got starts and just couldn’t quite go on with it.
“Madde Wright, her innings with the bat was really good.”
Batting at four, Wright’s hand of 39 from 76 balls was pivotal in the run chase. Vozzo was also full of praise for the roles she and fellow spinner Isabel White played with the ball.
Wright, who won the Betty Wilson Medal as as the decider’s best player, finished with 2-22 from 10 overs, while White snagged 3-28 from 10.
“Our spinners bowled extremely well, in particular a combination of Maddie Wright and Isabel White, together they bowled 20 overs and took (5-60), that was a really key period of the game,” Vozzo said.
The Mustangs coach said the entire clash was a rollercoaster, with neither side giving an inch.
“Obviously extremely nervous, we went through some stages of we might have this, then we haven’t, so our emotions were ebbing and flowing all day, it was a little bit nerve-racking,” Vozzo said.
“All the credit goes to the girls and their fighting spirit, it was really good for them to get over the line and they deserve it after doing nine months of hard work, it was terrific.”
It was a particularly special occasion for club stalwarts Zoe Griffiths and Danielle Montague, who celebrated their fourth and fifth flags for the club respectively. Montague was playing in her 10th grand final.
“Amazing by both of them,” Vozzo said, adding that victory was not only special for the players involved, but for the entire club.
“I think it was really important for our club because our seconds and thirds had a bit of a battle this year, we’ve got a lot of young girls,” Vozzo said.
“We had 10-15 young girls in attendance helping out on the day and it meant just as much to them as it meant to us, having them come back to the rooms after the game and be there to sing the song with us was really important.
“Not just for them to feel like they were part of it but to make them feel like this is their club and they’re here to stay.
“Hopefully most of them will now drive and push themselves forward to achieving the ultimate for the club.”
Earlier: Grand final preview
Geelong and Box Hill have been the best teams all year in the Victorian Premier Cricket Women’s First XI.
They’ll face off in the grand final at Dandenong’s Shepley Oval on Saturday morning from 10am.
Mitch Bourke, Ben Cameron and Brayden May break down all the key storylines.
GEELONG
Geelong Cricket Club has one last major road trip left for the Premier season — but it could result in a first grade premiership that some didn’t see coming.
The Cats were kept off Kardinia Park for the first half of the 24-25 campaign due to delayed wicket table works.
And now, the club’s first grade women will travel to Dandenong’s Shepley Oval on the hired team bus for their maiden grand final against Box Hill this Saturday from 10am.
The Cats won their way into the decider following a nerve-shredding one-wicket win over Box Hill at Kardinia Park in March 2 — thanks to the efforts of Meika King (20 not out) and 15-year-old Sarah Burton (an unbeaten five), adding a further 10 runs to seal victory.
It was the first time the Cats had beaten Box Hill after joining the top tier last season, with coach Steve Field saying Geelong had silenced the doubters who gave them no chance of having an impact.
He said his players would be up early for a 6.30 departure on Saturday morning, with the game starting earlier at 10 and having to combat Melbourne Grand Prix traffic.
However, stars Bronte Leishman (broken finger sustained at state squad training) and Milly Illingworth (stress-related back injury) were no chance of coming back into the squad.
“It really has been a whole squad effort, many of the players who have played this year have been 15 and 16 years of age, coming in for their first experience of first grade cricket, or on limited experience,” Field said.
“They had to continually develop to meet the standard and they have.
“We have a trio of very young players in Sarah Burton, Chloe Sewell and Annie Taylor, they’re all 15 and played in Victorian country side at the national championships.
“Each of those have played significant roles.”
However the Cats also possess valuable experience and the number one batter in the competition in skipper Stephanie Townsend who has stroked 562 runs at 56.2 and produced solid starts against Box Hill (36 and 29).
The Cats will come up against a very accurate Box Hill attack that includes league-leading offie Shashikala Appuhamilage (23 wickets as 11.83) and accurate left arm orthodox Zoe Griffiths (22 wickets at 14.).
“She’s a brilliant off spinner and she’s likely to open the bowling,” Field said of Appuhamilage.
“She did last time and she’s the leading wicket taker in the competition, she just doesn’t bowl bad balls.
“She’s constantly at the batter and it takes a bit to get her off her line.
“They basically choked Melbourne to death (last weekend). We will have to win the game, Box Hill won’t lose it.”
BOX HILL
Danielle Montague knows a thing or two about grand finals.
This Saturday, the Box Hill cricketer will notch her 10th women’s Premier Cricket grand final appearance against Geelong.
“That’s an amazing achievement,” said Box Hill coach Michael Vozzo, who is a former AFL umpire.
“She’s been a stalwart for the club and to be playing at that level for such a long period of time and still be producing some really good cricket is an outstanding effort.
“I really look forward to her doing a really good job for us.”
Box Hill is out to add a fifth one-day title to its trophy cabinet at Shepley Oval on Saturday. The club’s last flag came in the 2017-18 season, and was its fourth in five years.
“It’s been a disappointing period for the club, we’ve always had a very strong reputation within the competition so to come back and be able to get there is great,” Vozzo said.
A fire was lit under the belly of his playing group after rain cost them a chance at the T20 title earlier in the season, with the second innings of their clash against minor premiers Dandenong washed out.
“It was particularly frustrating, it only rained for an hour and a half and the exact hour and a half was when we were meant to bat,” Vozzo said.
“We had Meg Lanning padded up to go into bat so we were pretty excited about that opportunity, unfortunately it fell through.
“From that moment the girls were really inspired and determined to work hard and get this opportunity to play in the one-day grand final … it’d be great to walk away with more than just the achievement of making it.”
To clinch the premiership, the Mustangs must overcome a Geelong outfit it was toppled by just a fortnight ago in the first week of finals. That clash was a heart-stopper, with Geelong chasing down Box Hill’s 8-179 with just one wicket and four balls to spare.
“They’re a very good team and they’ve been on top all year,” Vozzo said of Geelong.
“They’re quite reliant on their spin, it’s always difficult to get spin away so we’ve got to be as aggressive as we possibly can.
“They’re a very good team and they bat deep, if we can look to put more pressure on them than we did last time you never know, it’ll be an excellent game, we’re reasonably matched.”
The key grand final players
Zoe Griffiths, Box Hill
The number three bat has struck close to 500 runs for the season and has form against Geelong. When the sides met back in December she struck 52 from 66 balls. Has also been potent with the ball and has taken a total of 29 wickets across both formats.
Vozzo said she was another player who had been “outstanding” this season.
Grace Jones, Geelong
Has been the leader of her side’s attack this season with 20 wickets at an average of 20.21. She piled the pressure on Box Hill in their semi-final meeting with 1-23 off her 10 overs.
Shashikala Siriwardene, Box Hill
Has a resume as grand as they come in Premier Cricket, having captained Sri Lanka and recorded 219 international appearance across her career, Siriwardene has found a happy home at Box Hill this season and her impact has been immense. The off-spinner has been the competition’s standout bowler and is averaging under 12 with the ball in hand. Will no doubt be a handful for the Geelong batters.
“She’s been outstanding, leading wicket-taker in the comp, and her experience around the group has been outstanding,” said Vozzo.
Rhianna Southby, Box Hill
Another player with a tremendous pedigree, the young keeper has won a Hundred title — where she enjoyed a superb 2023 tournament behind the stumps — and had made her presence felt with bat in hand this Premier Cricket season after striking 390 runs at an average of 48.75 at the top of the order in the one-day format.
“Getting her back has been great for the whole group, she’s such a terrific leader and is very professional the way she goes about preparing herself,” said Vozzo.
Annie Taylor, Geelong
Was a strong performer with the bat in the semi-final against Box Hill, scoring a patient 39 off 84 which helped her side eventually chase down their target. She’s only played six games this season but Taylor can bat anywhere up and down the order.
Stephanie Townsend, Geelong
The Cats star has been the leading run scorer in the competition with 562 at an average of 56.2 this season. Townsend has been in brilliant form with five half-centuries to her name this season.
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