SEASON BREAK - OUR BIG SATURDAY NIGHT BARBECUE
*We're heading in to the holiday break this Saturday with a Fabulous Fifths Food Fest barbecue at Ormond Park.
Any time from 6pm onwards (or 3pm if the Fifths have another comprehensive win like last week) we'll be marking the half way mark of the season - and we're off until January 10.
The best-selling item is the burger and beer for $9 - but there's snags, vegetarian and other treats to tempt.
We'll have match reports and man-of-the-match presentations.
As always we'll be COVID-safe. So everyone needs to sign in with the QR code, we need to sanitize at the appropriate intervals and social distancing needs to be observed.
*See you there! Where? Ormond Park Clubrooms, Saturday December 19. 

Noah, we take our Hat off to you!

Under 16s player Noah Nimorakiotakis has been steadily gaining senior experience over the past two seasons, and the hard work all came together on December 6 with a senior hat-trick.
Coming into the attack for the first time in the 21st over, Noah reduced Aintree from 5/111 to 8/111 in the blink of an eye, with wickets off the first three balls of his over.
The first two went to catches to Nick Pigitsakis and Dylan Pleban, but Noah showed nerves of steel to bowl sharp and straight to secure his hat-trick with a plumb LBW.
At left: Noah Nimorakiotakis shows off his hat-trick ball, with teammate George Manousos (left) and dad/captain Bill.
He took another wicket to finish with 4/11 as Aintree was bundled out for 140 runs - well short of the 301 runs it made the previous week.
The weather intervened after Moonee Valley went in to bat, and the match ended in a draw when the rain began to fall steadily.
Noah now has five wickets for the season, at a respectable average of 12.
It's pleasing to see that our last two senior hat-trick takers at Moonee Valley have been still in juniors, following on from Dejan Gilevski in 2019/20.
Noah is one of just 25 players in Moonee Valley's 50-year history to have taken a senior hat-trick.
Want to see the hat-trick ball - click HERE . 



   First-up win for our women's team


Moonee Valley celebrated our return to women's cricket after a 10-year layoff with a first-up win.
Travelling to Burnside Heights for the season opener, we compiled 3/117 from our 20 overs then bundled the opposition out for 93. Our two youngest players were the stars - Under 12s player Katherine Baker with 24 not out and Audrey Brown with two wickets.
Above: Our team for our first home game at Ormond Park: L-R: Back - Sarah Ronayne, coach Channa DeSilva, Brigid Kruspe, Tanya Intagliata, Tara Newman, Isabella Kruspe, Madeleine McLeod. Front - Kelsie Armstrong, Sarah Gooden, Katherine Baker and Audrey Brown.
We couldn't repeat the dose in Week 2 when we played at home, but kept all our wickets intact as we scored 75 off our 20 overs. We took three wickets in reply, but were unable to prevent Grand United passing our score.
Moonee Valley had women's teams from 2007 to 2011, then they went into recess.
Tanya Itagliata, who came all the way through Moonee Valley's juniors and played in our inaugural women's teams, played a key role in putting the team together for our return to women's cricket.
Tanya is fast approaching the 50 senior game landmark - so congratulations will soon be in order.


Spider - that's just how he rolls
 
Moonee Valley's curator Ian "Spider" Beel took possession of a new pitch roller in the first week of December, and served up a belter of a track with its first outing.
Moonee Valley Firsts scored 9/171 off our 40 overs, then rolled Maribyrnong Park St Marys for 104.
Anyone who has ever played turf cricket at Ormond Park will be familiar with Spider's much-loved old blue roller which he's had from the start, but alas it had become old and tired and the welds on the heavy front wheel were starting to come apart.
At left: Ian Beel rolls out a belter of a pitch with his new machine - with the Ian "Spider" Beel scoreboard as his backdrop.
So the new, improved green model is now in residence - faster, heavier and easier to operate as Spider plies his trade as one of the best in the business.
He's been preparing our wickets since we started playing turf cricket at Ormond Park in 1999/2000 - we played turf the previous season out of Cole Reserve while our deck was being laid. 
We're hoping that Spider stays around with his new roller, and his excellent decks, for as long as he graced us with the old clunker. Unlike the old blue roller, he's showing no signs of slowing down!

Men's health - our joint tribute

Moonee Valley and Aberfeldie Park cricket clubs have both been hit hard by the loss of much-loved members to men's health issues in the past couple of seasons, and have determined to stand up and be counted.
Rather than let tough questions go unanswered the two Moonee Ponds-based clubs came together for a perpetual reminder of two loved and respected players and mates no longer with us - Heath Webb-Johnson of Moonee Valley and Gary Pascu of Aberfeldie Park.
The Second Elevens of the two clubs played off for the Webb-Johnson/Pascu Cup on November 21, and it was a hard-fought contest all day - Aberfeldie Park won by three runs off the last ball of the day.
It was played between the Second Elevens because close mates of the two were in that grade for the round, and it was appropriate they were part of it.
The inscription on the cup says everything - "their passion and legacy transcends cricket and will be forever celebrated".
Heath's widow Lezanne and their children Reid and Bree were at the game - played at Aberfeldie Park - for the beginning, while his parents Neville and Gloria visited during the game and then briefly called in at Ormond Park.
Heath's father Neville passed on the thanks from the family for the ongoing honor and remembrance of our much-loved teammate.
 

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

Senior cricket training – Tuesdays and Thursdays

Moonee Valley seniors are training Tuesdays and Thursdays - with our women's team booked to train Wednesdays.
Coach Glen Courts is at Ormond Park early to get training  under way by 5.30pm, and we are training in accordance with COVID-19 compliance and safety.
There are strict requirements from the Victorian Government and from Cricket Victoria which have enabled us to return to play, and they have been endorsed by our Associations.
As part of staying safe: 

*Players should come dressed ready to train or play - minimise use of change rooms.
*There is no sharing of food or drinks. Players should bring their own food and drink - or can buy an individual, clear-wrapped meal at the canteen.
*Sanitizer is provided at the ground, and players are expected to sanitize hands on a regular basis.
* Any shared equipment has to be sanitized before it can be passed to anyone else.
*Balls will need to be regularly sanitized.
*Social distancing is required, and players are required to wear masks at all times unless batting, bowling and participating in drills which require exertion.
*We all have masks from the lockdown, so players should bring their own mask.
*Players and anyone staying on game day or for training more than 15 minutes  MUST sign in and sign out for training with the QR code – and this can be done on mobile phones. People who come into the pavilion must also sign in and out with a separate QR code.
*Under the return to play provisions, players MUST train in groups of up to 11 on each night, and are not allowed to mingle or interchange with the other groups at the session.
*Anyone who feels ill or has any symptoms of COVID-19 must stay away from Ormond Park and other players, and as per Government directives should get tested. 
Players interested in joining Moonee Valley can ring Glen Courts on 0403 329 652 or club President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381.
 See you at training.
Charlie Walker.
President,
Moonee Valley Cricket Club

     Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Peter Golding - Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Michael Ozbun - Secretary 0448 548 860 
* Peter Pickering - 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 : December 16, 2020.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE