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Front Page - up to April 8, 2022

OUR THIRD ELEVEN PREMIERSHIP CELEBRATIONS

The Premiers with their flag and shield: L-R. back - Sukhi Jaiswal, Sunil Bhandari, Parminder Singh, Vinnie Singh, Geoff McKeown, Dean Jukic, Mark Gauci, Sunny Singh, Manthan Nicholas, Bede Gannon and Jim Polonidis. Front - Sunny Sharma and Tom Janetzki. Moonee Valley won its second Mercantile flag in two seasons when the Thirds had a comprehensive win at home over National on March 26.
We had gone close so many times after we moved our third and fourth teams to the Mercantile Cricket Association in 2013/14, but now we've opened the floodgates.
It was our first Third Eleven premiership since 1998/99, when we were still playing in the Moreland-Moonee Valley C Mats competition.
At right: The Premiers with their flag and shield: L-R. back - Sukhi Jaiswal, Sunil Bhandari, Parminder Singh, Vinnie Singh, Geoff McKeown, Dean Jukic, Mark Gauci, Sunny Singh, Manthan Nicholas, Bede Gannon and Jim Polonidis. Front - Sunny Sharma and Tom Janetzki.
Our Thirds had played consistently for much of the season to finish second on the ladder, and comfortably accounted for Emerald Hill in the semi.
We were not expecting to get a home Grand Final, but didn't look a gift horse in the mouth when fourth-placed National knocked off the top team in the other semi.
Come the big day we were always in the hunt, but National ground it out to be 5/88. Then in the blink of an eye they were all out on that score.
National lost 5/0 off seven balls. Dean Jukic took a sharp caught-and-bowled off the fifth ball of his fifth over, then Sunil Bhandari took four wickets in five balls.
Earth-shattering for National.
They worked steadily away to restrict Moonee Valley when we batted, and at 4/57 they had some belief that the could pull something off. But once the target inched down down to 28, Sukhi Jaiswal and Tom Janetzki threw off the shackles. Five fours between them over a couple of overs, and we reeled in the target with 19 overs to spare. Premiership secured!
**Watch this space for more photos and a full premiership match report.

SENIOR PRESENTATION NIGHT 2022

The Moonee Valley Cricket Club senior presentation night is being held at the Moonee Ponds Club, 622 Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds on Saturday April 23.
Captains of each of our eight senior teams will be canvassing the players to confirm bookings for what is always one of our highlights of the season.
The Moonee Ponds Club has been one of our major sponsors since 2004, and new chef Justin Cortellino has put together an excellent three-course meal for us, including a choice of three mains plus a vegetarian option.
Tickets are $65 per person, and $60 for juniors and Life Members. Drinks are at MPC member prices.
A link will be available on our club website shop, www.mooneevalleycricketstore.com.au to pay in advance for your tickets, or payment can be made on the night.
The night commences at 6.30 for a 7pm start.
We will be honoring our season and our achievements.
The night includes the presentation of key milestone trophies, announcement of our Club Champion, plus the Sean O'Kane Award, Lindsay Jones Best Clubman award, Most Improved Player award, batting, bowling and fielding awards for each grade, the Most Valuable Player medallions and other acknowledgements.
Further information - Charlie Walker 0411 705 381.

Valley's Junior Best in Comp winners

Moonee Valley had a strong finals campaign in our juniors with an Under 14 Premiership and a narrow Under 12 Grand Final loss, and our excellent performances were recognised in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association's Best in Comp awards.

Above: Under 14 best-in-comp award winners Zac Nilsson (left) and Jeremy Sevenson.
Three of our up-and-coming stars were recognised with awards, and were present at the Airport West-St Christophers clubrooms for the presentations on March 29.
Under 14 captain Zac Nilsson won the Under 14 Friday Division 5 batting award with 196 runs for once out across the whole season. He shared the gloves in the team with Mark Lubansky, and still picked up the wicketkeeping award.
Under 14 teammate Jeremy Sevenson beat all comers to claim the bowling award with seven wickets at the miserly average of 3.24.
Under 12 all-rounder David Lubansky took out the fielding award.

At right: David Lubansky with his Under 12 fielding award.
We have a strong group of stars of the future coming through our junior program, and seven of the victorious Under 14 team have already played senior cricket for Moonee Valley, including Zac Nilsson in the Firsts.
And David Lubansky and Ben Simon from the Under 12s have already mixed it against the men in our senior teams - no mean feat!
So bring on next season - Moonee Valley and our juniors are ready for it.

Our girls can do it - again!!!!

Moonee Valley's Women's team made it two from two when they won their Premiership on March 13.
For the second year in a row we were playing a team which finished top of the ladder, and against the odds won the game that really counted.
Premiers 2021/22! L-R. Back - co-coach Charlie Walker, Sandra Verschoor, Amber Dylan, Lane Edwards, co-coach Sarah Gooden, Audrey Brown, Sarah Fenn and co-coach Darren Nagle. Front - Kelsie Armstrong, Tara Newman and Yasmin King. What made the win even more meritorious was we were struggling for numbers at the start of the season and were only a minute from having to forfeit our first game - which may well have been the death knell for the season.
But we got on the park - and the rest is history for back-to-back Premier-ships.
We only had seven players for the Grand Final against Werribee - eight is a full team - after key player Sandra Verschoor injured her hamstring and knee when we played on a wet ground in the semi.
Above: Premiers 2021/22! L-R. Back - co-coach Charlie Walker, Sandra Verschoor, Amber Dylan, Lane Edwards, co-coach Sarah Gooden, Audrey Brown, Sarah Fenn and co-coach Darren Nagle. Front - Kelsie Armstrong, Tara Newman and Yasmin King.
But our women had a strong bond, and worked well together to post a competitive total of 115 off our 20 overs - helped by a strong finish of 45 runs off the last five overs.
Werribee was always thereabouts in the run chase - but our last three overs - two from Yasmin King and one from captain Tara Newman - put the lid on them. Werribee only needed 27 off the last three overs with two of their bigger hitters at the crease - but we held our nerve and they fell short by seven runs, with some tight death-overs bowling.
Premiers two years in a row - we're proud of you.

Moonee Valley cricket - recruiting for 2022/23

Moonee Valley will welcome new senior and junior players for the 2022/23 season. We plan to have senior men's turf and hard wicket teams, playing in both Saturday and Sunday grades, as well as women's cricket. Our club expects to have juniors at the Under 16, Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 levels in the coming season, playing Friday evenings.
Moonee Valley also has vacancies for our winter comp team, playing Saturday afternoons. The team trains in the off-weeks to the games.
Anyone interested in playing for Moonee Valley in the coming season - seniors, juniors or our premiership-winning women's team - can phone or text President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381 or Senior Coach Glen Courts on 0403 329 652.

Buy club clothing, pay your membership, buy tickets to club functions - do it all at www.mooneevalleycricketstore.com.au

Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Peter Golding - Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Michael Ozbun - Secretary 0448 548 860
* Mark Gauci - Vice President 0457 778 335
* Charlie Walker - Junior Co-ordinator - mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au

Email: mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au

For more contacts, see " Office bearers & Officials " under "Club News & Info" at the top of the page

Last updated : March 29, 2022.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE