Tara Murray
Keilor came away proud despite a grand final loss in the Cricket Victoria Women’s Community Cricket Competition shield 3 one-day competition.
The young Blues faced a more experienced Melton Centrals side in the grand final and it proved to be the difference in the end.
Centrals made 5-193 off their overs with Liz Pierce scoring an unbeaten century. Yashvi Shah took two wickets for Blues.
The Blues never got going in their run chase, bowled out for 73.
Keilor head coach Duncan Harrison admits that the lack of experience got to the side.
“We are very young and I think they got a bit flustered in the field and it was too many to chase,” he said.
“Realistically we were always going to struggle to get that many. We lost a few wickets and lost our way.
“There were a few run outs in the end with the pressure to score. We are still really proud of what they have achieved.”
Harrison said the efforts and results produced by the group this season had exceeded all expectations.
He said there would only be positive signs for the future.
“We had a party at Keilor on Sunday night and they were all on the ground playing cricket and it was just the parents, who were inside.
“We had seven players under-14, so it was an impressive effort this season. We have some really talented players who can go on to have some good cricket careers.”
Many of the side had also been involved in junior premiership and grand finals.
Harrison said they are hoping that this is something they can continue to build on.
“We played in a grand final and won a final, it’s a good start for them going forward,” he said.
“We’ll lose some to premier cricket and that is always the aim.
“If we can keep the numbers together we’ll have a pretty good team. We want to keep developing them and doing the right things so they continue to enjoy training and playing and keep coming back.
“We just want them to improve next season. We have no expectations on them.”
