INJURED Vic Country cricketer Maddie Green is eyeing a December return to training, eager to be fit for a potential showdown with New South Wales in January.
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The Port Fairy teenager had finger surgery a fortnight ago after back-to-back sporting incidents six wickets ago.
"Before we went back into restrictions I got it hit at netball and then I had cricket training the next day and it got hit again," Green said.
The injury, to her right-hand pinkie finger, was worse than first thought.
"It wasn't too bad (pain-wise) and my parents just said 'Panadol and ice and you'll be right'," she said.
"Eventually it decided to curl over so we decided we should do something about it and they said to get into the doctor and then surgery."
It was the first time Green had undergone surgery.
She said the setback was an odd one.
"People keep asking me what I've done and it's kind of funny to say 'I hurt my little pinkie finger'," she said.
"It's such a small injury but it can make such a big difference."
Green, 15, is confident she will get enough training in before Vic Country plays NSW in Wodonga.
Cricket Victoria is hoping to schedule under 16 female matches, if state government protocols ease, in place of the national championships which were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent border restrictions.
The Hamilton and Alexandra College student is one of four south-west teenagers in the team. Hannah Rooke (Brierly Christ-Church), Maddy Illingworth (Heytesbury Rebels) and Lila Wilkinson (Merrivale) will play alongside Green.
"It is a really good alternative to the national championships, it's something for us to work towards," she said.
"They are normally one of the more challenging sides to play so it will be really good to test our skills up against them."
Green said she was grateful Cricket Victoria was trying to implement a program during an uncertain time, particularly after the Youth Premier League, a state-based championship featuring Western Waves, was cancelled.
"I think it's really important to have some form of cricket still happening for us girls otherwise you just lose motivation," she said.
"It's been hard to find that motivation during the restrictions and COVID-19.
"Waves is always a really good experience because it's not such a high level (as Vic Country) but it's still a level where you learn things."
Green, who plays for Port Fairy's division two men's side, has identified areas she can improve on.
"With my batting I am trying to get to more top order when it comes to those representative teams," she said.
"With Waves I opened but with Victoria I batted near the bottom order so I want to improve on that so I can be facing those better bowlers.
"I also opened the bowling at the most recent Waves' (competition) but again as I go up into higher levels I slowly drop down where I bowl. It's little tweaks that can make a big difference."
Justine McCullagh-Beasy
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
