EXTREME heat has brought a premature end to the Cricket Victoria junior state championships held in Melbourne.
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Organisers activated their heat policy and called off play yesterday as temperatures soared into the 40s.
All play in the under 14s and under 16s girls’ competitions was called off as have the round of finals matches scheduled for today as temperatures are again expected to reach the 40s.
With finals unable to be played, Cricket Victoria is looking at its options as to how it will decide who is crowned the state champion in each grade.
The Western Waves have a team in the under 14 and under 16 competitions with the under 14 team unbeaten in the two games it played.
On Wednesday it defeated Outer East Eagles and Northern Rivers in games that were reduced due to the heat.
The team was due to play in the semi-finals today before the heatwave saw the competition called off.
In the under 16 girls the Western Waves lost both their games, also played on Wednesday, with coach Shae Johnson saying it is the first time games have been cancelled at the state championships due to hot weather.
“Even with the reduced over games on Wednesday there were a lot of girls not feeling well from playing in the heat,” Johnson said.
“We were having drinks every five overs and it was a shame because the girls didn’t get to show just how much talent they have.”
The standout performances for the under 16 girls came in their first game, with co-captains Georgia Wareham from Mortlake making 30 not out and Alice Johnson from Balmoral making 22.
In the boys’ under 18 competition the Western Waves played their last game on Wednesday in what was a consolation final against the Inner East Emus.
After losing their first three games of the week the Waves got on the winner’s list when they defeated the Emus by six runs.
Hamish Withers with 45 top scored in the Waves’ score of 5/148, and with the ball three wickets each to Tom Smith and Angus Adams saw the Emus bowled out for 142.
And Warrnambool cricketer Gemma Gibbins is making her mark playing for the Victorian under 18 girls’ team at the national championships in Ballarat.
The Victorians are unbeaten after two rounds with Gibbins taking 1/15 against New South Wales on Wednesday and then scoring one not out to help her team to a one-wicket win.
