Geelong recruit Aanliya Cheeran makes her debut with Victoria against Queensland Fire
Geelong are poised to start the season 2-0, its first grade women claim their inaugural win and a Victorian representative opens up on her debut match. Get the latest with our Cats Wrap.
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Geelong is poised to go 2-0 in first grade, the Cats’ women claimed their first win in the top flight and a young Colac recruit makes her state debut against Queensland in fine fashion.
Get the latest from Geelong Cricket Club’s summer with our special Cats Wrap.
Cats enjoy dream start to the first grade season
Geelong is poised to go 2-0 for the season after a first grade debutant contributed a pair of wickets against Frankston Peninsula on Saturday.
The Cats are set to claim their first two-day victory for the summer after rolling the home side for 179 off 74 overs at Jubilee Park in Round 2 of Victorian Premier cricket.
The wickets were shared between Tom and debutant Lachlan Neate, with 2/19 and 2/22 respectively, and spinner Callum Stow (2/45).
Frankston’s innings was held together by Brodie Symons until he was run out for 81.
However, Lachlan would castle former Australian Test spinner Jon Holland for two runs as he sent down 13 economical overs.
Neate, 21, who works in recruitment, said he wasn’t shy to remind his brother Tom he had dismissed a Test player.
“I could see his intent early, he was looking to drag a lot to mid wicket so I just tried to nullify that with a bit of pace off,” Neate said.
“I was a bit anxious to get into my first over to be honest.”
His first wicket was an edge from Ryan Hammel, safely pouched by keeper Ryan Aikman.
“I couldn’t have got a more perfect first wicket to be honest ... it was a great feeling,” he said.
Restricting Frankston to 4/34 early, Neate said the Cats were “pretty relentless” with their line and length.
“To keep them to a low total on a pretty decent wicket, we were pumped with that,” he said.
“We’ve all gelled really well I think.”
Neate said he was thrilled to get the call up to first grade at training last Thursday night.
“I was at the top of my very short mark and Josh Larkin the skipper just tapped me on the shoulder and said I’m playing this week,” he said.
“The next few deliveries probably weren’t much quality, but it was very good news.”
In reply on Saturday, the Cats were 0/50 with Hayden Butterworth (27 not out) and Eammon Vines (17 not out) at the crease.
It comes after Geelong beat reigning premier Melbourne by two wickets in Round 1 at Kardinia Park.
In second grade, Frankston Peninsula compiled 5/255 off 86 overs with Zane Attard (2/62) the only multiple wicket taker.
In the third division, the Cats were rescued by a late order partnership between Olegas Rodgers (62) and Josh Mastin (54), finishing with a score of 157.
Meanwhile, Max Hutchinson’s 92 was the bedrock of Geelong’s 9/243 in fourth division, with support from Nicholas Donazzon (42) and Oliver Haberfield (30).
Aanliya Cheeran makes her Victorian debut
It’s pretty safe to assume it was a first down at Colac’s Trinity College.
Emerging young Geelong cricketer Aanliya Cheeran, 18, needed to get permission to take a week off after getting the call up to make her state debut against Queensland Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League at Peter Burge Oval last Thursday.
After making five runs batting at 11, Cheeran took 1/25 off 5.4 overs, bowling opener Georgia Redmayne around her legs for 37 with her fifth delivery.
It came after Cheeran, of Indian descent, switched from Colac’s local competition to Geelong Cricket Club during the off-season.
Cheeran said she was at home when she got the call from Cricket Victoria asking her to join the squad up north.
“I had to check with my parents and had to get a green card from school,” Cheeran said.
“And off I went.
“A mix of emotions, I was happy, obviously excited, nervous, scared, definitely a lot of adrenaline.”
However, there were plenty of familiar faces within the Victorian squad with Cheeran having trained and played in practice matches with the state Second XI.
“They’re always so caring and kind,” she said.
Cheeran said her inaugural state wicket in her fist over remained a bit of a blur.
“It just happened so quick,” she said.
“It was relief, as I was anxious about how I would go.
“It was the best feeling when you got your first wicket for Victoria.
“Meg Lanning giving me the cap was really special to me, it’s something I will always cherish.”
Cheeran is also enjoying her time at Geelong CC, taking five wickets so far with the best figures of 3/24 in Round 2 against Essendon Maribyrnong Park, while chipping with some handy runs.
“All the girls are really nice and encouraging and I think we’re doing really well as a team,” she said.
Cheeran followed her cricket-mad father Benoy and brother Aanlin into the sport, joining City United around 13 years of age.
“I wasn’t a huge fan of cricket when I was young,” she said.
“My dad and my brother were big nuffies.”
Geelong’s women bank two top flight victories in a day
Geelong has secured two crucial wins in Women’s Premier first grade, with a readjusted batting order doing the trick on Sunday afternoon.
At Kardinia Park for a two-game hit out, Geelong defeated Ringwood by 13 runs in the opening clash and then were ahead of the game against Plenty Valley before the heavens opened.
Earlier in the Round 3 match, Ringwood won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies, with Erin Carroll dismissing openers Bianca Deckker for a golden duck and then Renee Moffitt for one run between them.
However, stand-in captain Stephanie Townsend and Kira Grace steadied the ship before the latter was bowled for a 19-ball innings of 11.
Townsend then began to put her foot down, and top scored 49 off 45 balls with six boundaries, helping Geelong to reach 121.
The Cats started strongly in the field with Jess Field bowling an economical spell of 2-12 from her four overs.
Despite a 48-ball 54 from Una Raymond-Hoey, and a handy 21 from Teresa Graves, Ringwood fell 13 runs short with Townsend claiming 2-16.
Meanwhile, against Plenty Valley in Round 4, the Cats kept the opposition pinned down, with recent state debutant Aanliya Cheeran (1-19) bowling experienced opener Nikita Chaudhary for 10.
She would combine with Field (3-18) and Grace Jones (2-24) to slow the scoring, with Plenty Valley reaching 7-98 off its 20 overs.
Geelong’s seventh and final wicket in the last over came via a clever run out from Jones.
The Cats changed up their batting order with Field opening alongside Moffitt, and the move worked a treat.
Moffitt (40 off 37 balls) and Field (26 off 43) rotating the strike nicely and reached 76 without loss from 14 overs before the heavens opened.
The umpires eventually awarded the game to Geelong after Plenty Valley had reached 2-57 at the same stage in their innings.
Post-match, Field said the second game was a big personal challenge having never opened in a T20 before.
“In both the games, I knew the scoring areas of the batters as I did my preparation before the game and just aimed to get dot balls,” Field said of her bowling.
“Overall, very happy to get two wins in a day.”
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