With last season’s premiership under its belt, Melton has come back for more this season in the women’s Victorian Premier Cricket seconds competition.
All players from the winning side have returned this season, keen for a tilt at back-to-back premierships.
Lions’ coach Nicole Martin said having all the playing group return made things a lot easier.
“It’s the same group of girls, the same mates,” she said. “The girls wanted to go around again. It’s nice to know you don’t have to go chasing players every week.”
Martin said the club has taken a similar off season approach to last year, with players tackling indoor cricket.
“Pre-season was done inside, with most of the girls playing,” said Martin, who is part of the Australian indoor team.
“Indoor cricket fits in with our outdoor cricket, and we don’t think it ruins our cricket like some people.
“We won the premiership last year coming off the back of an indoor season.”
This season’s start was delayed for the Lions, with their first three matches called off due to the weather. Two matches were washed out and the third called off due to dangerous winds.
Once on the park, the Lions secured a first-up win after chasing down Carlton-Brunswick’s total of 156 with four overs to spare.
Captain Stephanie Theodore top-scored with 32 in her side’s 5-157, four players posted 20 plus.
Martin said it was a good even performance to kick off the season.
“It was a really good chase in tough conditions,” she said. “We’re an even side. It was another handy innings from Steph … Briony Polkinghorne played an important anchor role.”
On Sunday, the Lions made it consecutive wins as they again pulled out all stops to chase down a big total.
Brighton District made a massive 191 from its innings, but it ended up no match for the Lions.
Polkinghorne was the best of the bowlers, taking three wickets.
The Lions made 2-193, hitting the winnings runs with an over to spare, and now sit atop of the table after five rounds.
Meanwhile, it was a big off season for Martin who coached Japan’s women’s team at the International Cricket Council’s Women’s East Asia Pacific Cricket World Cup qualifier tournament.
The Japanese team failed to qualify for the world cup.
“It was a learning curve,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of translation, so a very large learning experience.”
