A premiership win for Sydenham Hillside in the inaugural Victorian Turf Cricket Association women’s division has capped a history-making summer for the Storm.
It is the first senior women’s cricket side in the club’s 20-year history, so the flag glory is the icing on the cake.
Storm captain Catherine Morrow was only too happy to spread the plaudits around.
“It makes it really good for a club environment to bring both genders into the club,” she said.
“It’s been a collective team effort from everybody at Sydenham Hillside to get the team up.
“It’s fantastic to win the first one and to reward all the hard effort that’s been put in from the executive and the committee and also the ladies.”
This team is just a starting point for Sydenham Hillside and its women.
The Storm is working hard to get a second senior women’s team up and running and is hoping to add a second junior girls team after success of the under-13 girls this season.
When Sydenham Hillside clinched its nine-wicket win over Westmeadows in the grand final at Hillside Recreation Reserve, it picked up another flag to hang on the clubroom walls and opened up the door for future generations of females to be involved in the club.
“For some of them, it’s their first year ever playing cricket, so it was fantastic to win the premiership,” Morrow said.
“I just hope that some of the men’s teams can get up and win premierships and it will be a fantastic presentation night down the track.”
Sydenham Hillside finished five wins clear on top of the women’s ladder after the home-and-away rounds and was clearly the dominant side in the grand final.
The Storm bowled Westmeadows out for 73 in 17.5 overs, with medium pacer Maddison Lorimer snaring a game-best 3-14.
“She’s just improved week in week out,” Morrow said. “She bowled the best she’d ever bowled in the grand final, which was fantastic.
“I hope that gives her heaps of confidence for next year … she’s only 18 years of age, so she’s got a bright future.”
Vicki Kokkinidis continued her stellar season with the ball, taking 2-9, while Hannah Brne snared 2-24.
Sydenham Hillside was cruising to victory until a hamstring injury forced opener Kerry Scandolera to retire hurt on 12.
It was the only negative on a dream day for the Storm, which reached the target one down with Morrow scoring 43 not out.
“It was sad that Kerry couldn’t finish the innings and got injured at the wrong time,” Morrow said. “But it was good that Maryann [Marsh] was out there in the middle at the end because she’s had a good season.”
