Mum, son are champs

The mother-and-son team of Janet Finn and Reiley Mark took top honours at the National Junior Indoor Cricket Titles held in Dubbo earlier this month. 157107 Picture: ROB CAREW

By DAVID NAGEL

THEY stood just a classic cover drive apart, but mother-and son national champions Janet Finn and Reiley Mark seemed a world away at the National Junior Cricket Titles held in Dubbo earlier this month.
Janet, coach of Victoria’s 14 and Under Girls, and Reiley, an off-spinner and right-hand batsman in the 13 and Under Boys, were both competing for national glory in the grand finals of their respective divisions.
Janet was in one court, Reiley in another, but in between the Berwick pair stood a grandstand that blocked their view. But both need not have worried, they were both successful completing a rare and unique double in the sporting world.
“It’s usually father and son, but someone mentioned it to me after the grand final that it was a first for a mother and son to win national titles,” Janet said.
Janet was a former Premier XI Outdoor Women’s cricketer who converted to indoor, representing her state until she fell pregnant with Reiley in 2002. She returned in a coaching role, rising to state ranks in 2010 and coached a multitude of teams across Junior, Open and Masters Divisions.
Janet’s achievement was even more special, as this was the inaugural appearance of the Victorian 14 and Under Girls at a national level.
“Cricket Australia is investing heavily in junior girl’s cricket and it’s great to be a part of it,” Janet said.
“The girls love it, we train them in a high-performance environment, they train hard, and it’s great to see them get these rewards. We got four girls into the Australian team and Emma Sands got player of the series and Jaide Anthony won the player of the grand final. I’m so proud of all the girls for the way they played.”
Janet forgot to mention that she was also named coach of the Australian Girls 14 and Under All-Stars.
But Janet is not the only All-Star in the family, with Reiley earning his second All-Star selection after an outstanding tournament with both bat and ball.
When it comes to cricket – Reiley never stood a chance.
Janet’s credentials are already clear, while Reiley’s dad John Mark was a quality fast bowler who shared the crease at South Melbourne with the likes of Australian Test Cricketer Damien Fleming.
So how did Reiley become a spinner?
“I used to bowl pace but my coach saw me bowl off-spin one day and he told me to change,” said Reiley, who shares his time between the indoor and outdoor versions of the game.
“I love playing them both, indoor and outdoor cricket,” said Reiley, who loves to support the Melbourne Stars in the increasingly popular Big Bash during the summer.
“With indoor, it’s just great fun, you get to bat and bowl and everyone is involved in the game and the games are over quickly. But I really love playing outdoor; my dream is to one day play for Victoria and then Australia.”
Reiley already has a cricketing CV that most can only dream of.
He has now won three national indoor titles in a row and has racked up some impressive individual achievements along the way. He was named an Australian All-Star in 2014 before being named vice-captain of Australia A for last year’s Cricket Australia’s Junior Cricket World Series held in Toombul, Queensland.
Reiley has played for the Lynbrook Cricket Club but will switch to Berwick this season after a recent move.
Janet wanted to thank Cricket Victoria’s Indoor manager Ross Gregory for his support while Reiley had a very special thank you of his own.
“I just want to thank mum for teaching me how to play under pressure.”
Now that’s something pretty unique.