By Nick Creely
In the space of just four years, the Parkfield Cricket Club female sides have gone from strength-to-strength.
Not just in its ability to help promote and develop women’s cricket even further in the south east, but in its outstanding achievements from on-field perspective.
From a local cricket sense, the club continue to be trailblazers in the game.
The Bandits have hit little milestones along the way – whether it be fielding their first female side four years ago, to its stunning double-premiership success last season, and to another significant milestone reached on Sunday 13 December.
The club were promoted to The Cricket Victoria Community Shield One-Day Competition this season, after a 2019/20 that produced premierships in both the South One Day Competition and South Twenty20 Competition, and banked its first win in the top-grade against Edinburgh at Tatterson Park.
Club president David Swiezbiolek spoke glowingly of the impact the female sides have had on not only the club, but the opportunities it can provide emerging cricketers in the region.
“It gives all women in the area opportunities, and that it shows there are pathways and to be involved and grow in sport,” he said.
“They’re trailblazing it for the Noble Park area, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
After turning discussion into reality four years ago, the club built its female sides from the ground up, putting in a mountain of work to bring cricket into the club.
And Swiezbiolek said that it’s been quite remarkable to see how far it has come. From a single training session, to a dual-premiership machine now playing top-level female club cricket, it’s been one hell of a journey.
“Four years ago, Shane Cooray, Ruvini Perera and Matthew Aslett, it was a bit of a snowball dream for them, there was discussions and then they decided to have a training sessions to see if they got any interest,” he said.
“They had one girl come down for that session, so it started with two girls, a coach, and from there word got out and its expanded from there – it’s definitely grown in the last four years.”
“It’s changed the culture of the club, even in relation to events, we’re getting loads of numbers to training – we hear some senior men’s clubs struggling to get 20 to train some nights, and we look over our field and we see 60, and sometimes more.
“They (the men’s and women’s side) work together well, its changed the social fabric.”
Swiezbiolek described the club’s two premiership successes last season in the South One-Day and Twenty20 competitions as a turning point in what the girls can achieve, and said it was incredibly satisfying to see the hard work come to fruition.
“We were lucky enough to celebrate both of them before Covid hit, and it would have been nice to continue that celebration at presentation night, but it was a massive step forward after a couple of years of the girls learning the game,” he said.
“It was a reward for all the hard work they put into the last two and a half years – they’re very driven young ladies.”
As the Bandits now look to make a splash in the highly-regarded Shield competition, it will look to build on from its first win, with saw the club chase down 60 in dominant fashion. There were many great performances, including 14-year-old Nilu Perera snaring 2/10, skipper Ruvini Perera scoring 15 not out, Jordan Hill taking 2/6 and Rongxix Huang impressing with 14.
Swierzbiolek said that the club’s first win in the Shield was just another reminder of how hard the girls have worked to improve their game upon being promoted to the top-grade in such a short amount of time.
“We always set goals and we want to be realistic, but we’ve had great leadership through Shane Cooray and Ruvini Perera, our women’s captain, and with the hard work and the support of the committee, the players there was always a chance to advance our expectations,” he said.
“It’s given a real spark around the club, and there’s a great vibe around the place, and to get up to Shield is massive.
“Its a real high standard of cricket every week, so it provides new challenges, and to get that early win builds confidence, and it cements in their minds that they can handle this level.”
The Bandits will return to the field after the Christmas break on 10 January with a clash against Kingston Heath.
