Geelong Cricket Association’s team gear was stolen from outside motel during Melbourne Country Week

Geelong has located its stolen trailer full of cricket gear, with one player’s item proving pivotal in police searches.

Sean O'Neill crunched an unbeaten 88 for the Lions. Picture: Wes Cusworth

THE Geelong Cricket Association has recovered almost $50,000 worth of its stolen cricket gear, with a set of AirPods proving to be the key in locating the equipment.

The representative side woke up to find its trailer, filled with each players’ cricket bags and equipment, was stolen off the back of the team bus on Thursday morning.

Team manager Peter Edwards said one player had left his pair of AirPods in his cricket bag, with the wireless headphones giving police an accurate location of the stolen trailer.

“It seems that all the gear is accounted for, they’ve clearly gone through the bags because things have been moved but it seems though everything is there,” he said.

“Police advised that it seems to be all there, we probably won’t know until we’re all back in Geelong and able to sort through it.

“The search warrant was executed today... so they’ve gone through a property in Tarneit and found it all.”

Playing after tournament theft an ‘effort in itself’

GEELONG Country Week manager Peter Edwards said he was so proud of his side’s efforts to play in the final match against Bairnsdale, just hours after having all of the team’s kits stolen.

The representative side woke up to find its trailer, filled with each players’ cricket bags and equipment, was stolen off the back of the team bus.

Players managed to source some equipment through cricket brand Kookaburra to play in the match against Bairnsdale, but Geelong suffered defeat by 36 runs and missed out on playing in the final.

Edwards said they were exceptionally difficult circumstances to expect the playing group to play in.

“We’re very proud of the entire group, to move quickly and find a way to play was incredible,” he said.

“We were all discombobulated, the fact that we were able to get onto the ground to get a game started was an effort in itself.

“I think there needs to be given credit to all the boys for giving it a real crack.”

Kookaburra donated five full kits to the representative side, including bats, helmets and pads, while the players purchased new spikes and whites to wear in the match.

Despite the generosity of Kookaburra, Edwards said it was difficult for the playing group to find a groove with the new gear.

“Cricket bats are really individual things, so we probably didn’t bat as well as we could’ve, and we didn’t bowl as well as we could’ve,” he said.

“I’m not using it as an excuse, but everyone’s bowling in new spikes and trying to use different bats they never had used before.

“It was always going to be a tough ask to take to the field and perform at a really high level.

“The quality of competition during the tournament is exceptional, and the boys performed well and carried themselves so well, they’d all be welcomed back next year.”

Cricket bags stolen in mid-tournament heist

GEELONG was in danger of missing the final at Country Week despite being undefeated through three games after a trailer full of the team’s cricket gear was stolen overnight.

The representative side, playing at Melbourne’s Country Week, had its trailer stolen off the team bus from the motel the players were staying at.

The cost of the stolen gear is estimated to be around $40,000 to $50,000.

Team manager Peter Edwards said it was a “massive” amount of gear stolen.

“Each of these players have three or four bats each, so that’s about 40 to 50 bats at an average price of about $700 you’d think,” he said.

“And that’s just the bats, then there’s the pads, the helmets, representative caps that they’ve earned, so it’s a fair bit in terms of value.

“Luckily Kookaburra heard about it and were happy to donate a bit of gear, we’ve got five bats, five sets of batting gear like pads, helmets, gloves, a bit of keeping gear and the rest.”

Sean O'Neill is one of the players representing the GCA. Picture: Wes Cusworth

The incident meant the game against Bairnsdale was at risk of being called off, but once players had received playing equipment from Kookaburra the match was able to begin at a later starting time.

Overs were reduced to 39 a side, with Geelong needing to chase a target of 212 to guarantee a spot in the finals.

Edwards said the club was focused on the tournament, but it was a distracting start to the day’s play.

“We need to win to guarantee a spot, a draw would’ve meant we split the points and then it’s up to other teams and how they go,” he said.

“It was clear that whoever did it used some kind of heat to get the locks off, there were scorch marks left on the bus.

“I can imagine whoever stole the gear will be surprised when they open up the trailer and find all of this cricket gear.

“I doubt there’s a market for second hand cricket equipment, but the boys will keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace and Gum Tree and those sort of websites.”

Originally published as Geelong Cricket Association’s team gear was stolen from outside motel during Melbourne Country Week