A FUN AFTER NOON FOR OUR LADIES DAY

More than 40 partners, players, parents, former players and friends attended the Moonee Valley Cricket Club Ladies Day Luncheon on February 4.
The boys had to give up the social rooms for the day, and the Firsts and Sixths were banished to the changerooms for the afternoon while the ladies dressed up and strutted their stuff. And so it should be.
At left: Jim Polonidis with some of the women who played with his late wife Tien - L-R Adele Walker, Natalie Demarte, Tanya Intagliata, Jenny O'Brien and Nicole McLachlan.
The day raised funds for charity and was named for past MVCC women’s captain Tien Polonidis, who passed away in 2021. We also acknowledged past player Bernadette Hobbs, who passed away last year.
Our First Eleven captain Jack Newman was a driving force behind the luncheon, and received tremendous assistance from many other people, both inside and outside our club.
It gave a chance for partners and family to connect to the club – other than just watching the boys on game day. We’re hoping that it becomes a regular event.
****For more photos from the event, click HERE

Ishti still our Champion – 10 years on

When he was last in Australia, Ihtisham Uddin was the runaway winner in Moonee Valley’s Club Champion award for 2012/13 – for best player in the First Eleven.

While Ishti received all the accolades for his season, which netted 456 runs @ 45.6 and 23 wickets @ 12.13 – the one thing he didn’t receive with his Club Champion trophy.
Ishti returned home to Pakistan before presentation night. The trophy sat on President Charlie Walker’s office desk for 10 years as he harbored hopes that Ishti would one day return to the Valley.
A couple of failed attempts to get a return visa dampened the hopes, but we were able to get a sports visa late last year and Ishti returned after Christmas.
And Charlie finally got to present Ishti with his Club Champion trophy – on February 4, before Day 2 of the game v Maribyrnong Park St Marys – which Ishti helped us win with two crucial wickets.
At right: Ihtisham Uddin with his 2012/13 Club Champion trophy.
Even though he hasn’t played under Australian conditions for a decade, Ishti has showed us he’s still got what it takes. He had a warm-up game in the Seconds before playing the last two rounds in the Firsts.
His return across the three games is 5 wickets for 45 – an average of 9.0 – and 71 runs @ 71. Ihtisham Uddin – you’re still a Club Champion.

Deano’s delivered across 200 great games

Club stalwart Dean 'Possum' Lawson joined illustrious company when he played his 200th game for the Valleys on February 5.
Dean played his first game back in 2006/07, as part of a group of dads who decided to match the efforts of their sons in the junior ranks. But Deano’s gone on with it, and is now just the 31^st player to reach the 200-game milestone in our 52-year history.
And it’s been an exciting journey, as Dean has never been one to let the bowlers settle or dictate terms – he’s at them from the first ball.
At left: Dean Lawson played with four other members of the 200 club when he played his 200th match. L-R Allan Cumming, Mark Gauci, Danny Terzini, Dean Jukic and Dean Lawson.
He’s eighth on our all-time run-scorers list with 5193 runs, and has never knocked back the chance to have a bowl – and the wicket he took to secure the win in his 200^th game was his 44^th for the club.
For the record, the Fifths did Deano proud, with 6/234cc to defeat Flemington Colts 128.
Dean has won batting awards in the Thirds, Fourths, Sixths and Eighths. He has four tons to his name - and Deano is one of only four players to have hit a double century for the Valleys.
He’s been a member of our Moonee Valley Wisden Team of the Year a remarkable eight times over 16 seasons. He scored 632 runs in the 2014/15 season – the equal 13^th-best tally in a season in our history, putting Dean in elite company.
At right: Dean Lawson listens in as former teammate Paul Hobbs recounts some stories of his career.
He put on a 212 run partnership for the first wicket with Steven Ball in the Sixths in 2008/09, and for good measure racked up a 156 run opening stand with Joe Carroll in the Eighths in 2006/07.
Dean was also part of the Sixths team which racked up our highest-ever score across any grade - 6/540 declared v Ascot Vale in Barron Shield in 2014/15. Three players tonned up in that game - but Deano wasn't one of them. He contributed 7 runs to the score. 
A champion bloke and a really important part of our Past Players committee, well done Possum on this fine achievement.
***You can see a video of Hobbsie's speech on Dean's career by clicking on this link.

Ryan Shines in his return to the Valley

Living in Torquay doesn't give Ryan Chirgwin many opportunities to come up to the big city and pull on the whites for Moonee Valley, so he wasn't going to miss out when he got his opportunity in the Sixths.
Chirgs batted brilliantly in putting on 101 not out in the February 4 match against Pascoe Vale Hadfield at Ormond Park.
Opening the batting with his good mate Sam Kater, Chirgs got us to 2/218 at the end of the 35 overs.
It was Ryan's maiden century for Moonee Valley.
At left: Ryan Chirgwin (far left) shows the score at the end of his big innings - joined by Sudarshan Devkota (middle) and Sam Kater.
Ryan and Sam were stalwarts in our Shiners team in recent years - our Fifths last season - but the team as a defined group decided to give it away at the end of last season as players moved away.
But they're part of the Moonee Valley fabric, and we're looking to find spots for them whenever they are available. It was Chirgs' first game for the season and the second for Sam. With returns like this, we'll welcome the Shiners back any time.


                  

                                             

Our 50th Anniversary dinner is on - Saturday, February 25.
A considerable number of past players from our 50 years have already committed to the function - so come and join them!
You can book your tickets online - see the link address above.
You can also search for our Moonee Valley Cricket Club Past and Present Players and Supporters page on Facebook - there's a heap of info there, including a link to see who's attending the function.
For more info on the event, email Life Member John Talone at johntalone5@gmail.com   

Moonee Valley cricket - junior and senior spots

Moonee Valley always open to new senior and junior players, both for the current season and leading in to 2023/24.
We field men's teams on both turf and hard wicket, and both Saturday and Sunday grades.
Our women's cricket team plays in a Twenty20 competition on Sundays.
We have juniors at Under 16, Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 level, and these teams play Friday evenings.
Anyone interested in playing for Moonee Valley in the current or coming season - seniors, juniors or our women's team - can phone or text President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381.  

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

Junior Registration - link here - https://play.cricket.com.au/club/moonee-valley-cricket-club/147223ea-86d8-eb11-a7ad-2818780da0cc

     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 
* Paul Simon - Junior Co-ordinator - 0400 946 117 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 : February 8, 2023.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE