By Tyler Lewis
The best of the best are coming to Shepley Oval.
This Wednesday Victorian Premier Cricket is running an exhibition ‘All-Star v Victoria’ match, where the best players from the women’s competition will do battle in the middle of Shepley Oval, Dandenong.
The first ball will be bowled at 2:30pm and the final ball is set to be sent down under the dazzling new lights.
Six Premier Cricket clubs feature in the All-Star XII, while the Victorian side is also fluttered with superb talent.
Dandenong Cricket Club legend Emma Gallagher is set to be one of the XII to take on Victoria, but while she is jumping out of her skin to step onto her home ground in a different way, Gallagher also admitted she has played alongside her fair share of all-stars.
“Any opportunity to take that half-step, I think a few of us have had that opportunity in country championships, where you get to play alongside players you have admired in opposition teams in a different set up,” she said.
“When you have the best players out of 10 teams, it is always going to be a step up and I think that is exciting for any cricketer that wants to get the best out of themselves.
“I guess I have been a bit spoiled to have that opportunity (to play alongside great players) since I have been in Premier Cricket.
“Getting to play alongside Kelly Applebee and Sarah Elliott, then further down the line Nic Faltum and Soph Molineux, you can get used to it I guess, but for me the exciting one is Tiana (Atkinson), Rhiann O’Donnell (Melbourne) and Macca Blows (EMP), those younger ones.
“To be able to say you played alongside them in their development, opposed to the peak of their careers – seeing them on the way up – that is awesome.
“You see those opposition players once or twice a year, but to be with them as a team, that is really exciting,” Gallagher said.
South east cricket lovers know Shepley Oval is a tremendous ground to watch cricket, and now, that knowledge is spreading far and wide, with the hard work behind the scenes starting to pay off for the Dandenong Cricket Club.
“We are very proud of the facilities we have at Dandenong and a lot of people have worked really hard over a long period of time to keep improving them,” Gallagher said.
“We have still got some big plans in the works; we think it has been a bit of an undervalued asset of Premier Cricket.
“I think a few years ago we had a Men’s Futures League game there and some of the Cricket Victoria staff sort of mentioned their surprise of what was available and how good it was.
“We felt that was a turning point, it’s like any part of Premier Cricket – it’s the level under state cricket.
“Plenty of improvements and big plans to see it go the next level, but good to get some recognition… we have a WNCL match coming up later in the season as well.
“We (Dandenong CC) want to take every opportunity to showcase what we have, because we reckon it’s pretty good,” she said.
As a champion player herself, Gallagher has certainly played with and against some fantastic cricketers.
But on Wednesday, there are a few she is keen to play with again and some for the first time.
“Great opportunity to play with some of the opposition, to be honest, there is a couple names that do stand out,” she said.
“Steph Townsend and Rhiann O’Donnell, even Teagan Parker, seeing her captain a different team, having opportunities to play with them at country champs, they’re players I have really enjoyed the chance to play with.
“Olivia Henry, I have only seen a couple times when we’ve played each other, people are speaking a lot about her.
“Then Macca Blows, she is a great human, I have a lot of time for her. I haven’t had the chance to play with her, not having a chance to play together previously, really looking forward to playing alongside her,” Gallagher said.
The Victorian Invitational XII is yet to be announced, but from all reports the side will feature yet another local product.
With the weather currently poised to be perfect cricketing conditions, there is going to be no better place to be than Shepley Oval on Wednesday from 2:30.
ALL-STAR XII
Tiana Atkinson (Dandenong)
Kim Garth (Dandenong)
Emma Gallagher (Dandenong)
Anna O’Donnell (Melbourne)
Rhiann O’Donnell (Melbourne)
Teagan Parker © (Melbourne)
Laura Shaw (Ringwood)
Olivia Henry (Ringwood)
Bhavi Devchand (Ringwood)
Makinley Blows (EMP)
Madison Albers (Carlton)
Ellen Williams (Prahran)
