WE WON BAROOGA!

The Moonee Valley Cricket Club has won the Barooga Over 35s tournament, taking out the trophy with three straight wins.

We’ve come close before on our previous five trips to the tournament, but strong batting and bowling displays ensured we were well in control across each of the matches, played in blistering heat which rose into the 40s. The tournament ran from January 14 to 17.

At left: Our team leader Daniel Phillips with the trophy and winning cheque for winning the Barooga Over 35s.

Our team comprised current Moonee Valley players Daniel Phillips, Allan Cumming, Mark Gauci, Peter Golding, Michael Cumbo, Sean O’Kane and Tony Gleeson, past players Adam Chapple, Glen Courts and Amit Chaudhary, and Barooga players Travis Gow, Matt Dimble and Justin Maley.

We’ll be back to defend our title in 2020 – team leaders Daniel Phillips and Mark Gauci handed back the $300 prizemoney as the deposit for next year’s entry.

*For more details and pictures, click HERE

ON FOR YOUNG & OLD

We showcased both ends of the age and experience spectrum when Moonee Valley Sixths took on Caroline Springs at our Ormond Park hard wicket ground on January 12.
At one end of the scale we had Under 16-eligible player Joshua Norsetter bring up his 50th senior game for Moonee Valley, to follow on from his 50th senior wicket before Christmas.
And at the other end, we had senior coach Mark Grenville demonstrate his skill and experience with a masterful 102not out, showcasing how to build an innings with classical cricket shots without having to resort to the slog.
At right: Members of the victorious Sixths team: Back. L-R: Abraham White, Sam Carbone, Nick Brelis, Brendan "Jonty" Rhodes, Money Gogia, Raju Kandel, Michael Cumbo, Manu Singh. Front: Milestone players Mark Grenville and Joshua Norsetter.
Mark was playing Sixths because his troublesome knee meant he was unable to bowl, and the grade presented him with the chance to bat without having to spend the day in the field and put pressure on the joint.
Moonee Valley duly saluted in the match, scoring 3/198 in just 25 overs to chase down Caroline Springs' 8/197cc.
Joshua showed the skills that has grabbed him bags of wickets in the turf grades, taking 1/31 off seven tight overs.
At right: Coach Mark Grenville celebrates his unbeaten century.
And in terms of youth, he was joined in the team by first-gamer Raju Kandel, who came to the crease late in the innings for a score of 0 not out.
Raju was one of three players in the team making their debuts for Moonee Valley, accompanied by fellow Nepalese colleague Piyush "Money" Gogia, and Abraham White. Abraham took 2/24.
At the experience end of the scale, the team included wily veterans Graeme Bloom and John Petropoulos, with Johnny chiming in with a nice wicket.
In the middle ranks, Sam Carbone scored a classy 59not out in an unbroken 159 run partnership with the coach.

DEBUT TIME AT THE VALLEYS

Moonee Valley has had nine players make their First Eleven debut in the half-year up to Christmas - which equals the club record for the past 16 seasons.
The debutants have ranged from long-standing Valley players - wicketkeeper Peter Golding, through to juniors - Krish Kanchan, who is still eligible to play Under 14s.
While we haven't quite found the combination that's going to regularly win games, the opportunity for players to come in at our highest level will stand us in good stead.
At right: First Eleven debutants in Round 8 - Krish Kanchan (left) and Jeet Shah.
Our First Eleven debuts this season have been handed to Mark Grenville, Peter Golding, Shiraz Badurdeen, Dishnaka Manoj, Shiwantha Kumara, Michael Ozbun, Joshua Gorry, Krish Kanchan and Jeet Shah.
The additions take our First Eleven debutants since the 2003/04 season to 107.
The last time we had nine Firsts debutants before Christmas was in 2006/07, when caps were handed to Vikash Chand, Rajan Aiyappan, Mark Forster, Ajith John, Bryce Peter-Budge, Evan Blythe, Iraklis Kolokithas, Heath Webb-Johnson and Wayne Nicol. We added two further debutants after Christmas that year - James Rawlinson and Dino Sapuppo.
By contrast, we've had seasons with just four new Firsts players - most recently 2016/17, with Dean Coxall, Anthony Cafari, Jordon McDonald and Alex Davidson.
At left: Our 2018/19 Sri Lanka imports pulled on the Valley cap for the first time - Shiwantha Kumara (left) and Dishnaka Manoj.
We also turned over just four new players in 2014/15 - Troy Eden, Freddie Priestley, Nate Wolland and Paul Bannister.
In our First Eleven Premiership year of 2009/10, we added just five new Firsts players across the course of the season - including Dushan Raveendrakumar, who got handed his cap in the Grand Final. The others were David Roach, Craig Pridham, Simon Thornton and Daniel Gauci.
And in the build-up to our Premiership year, in 2008/09, we picked six new Firsts players - Amit Chaudhary, Bede Gannon, Nick Puccio, Kane Harding, Sean O'Kane and Peter O'Kane. Three of them - Amit, Kane and Sean - played major roles in the Premiership the following season.
Let's hope that our current crop of First Eleven debutants has the same impact at Moonee Valley.

Senior training - it's on NOW

Moonee Valley Cricket Club runs senior outdoor training at Ormond Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm.
We have seven senior sides - four on turf and three on hard wicket, and a range of Saturday and Sunday games to suit all options. Ormond Park is in Pattison St, Moonee Ponds.

Anyone interested in joining our successful and progressive club can phone Club President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381.
Interested juniors can phone Junior Co-ordinator Peter Pickering on 0414 800 145, email him at pjp@vicbar.com.au or phone Kevin Gardiner on 0417536 896.

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    Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President/Secretary 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Peter Golding - Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Mark Gauci - Vice President 0457 778 335
* Peter Pickering - Junior Co-ordinator 0414 800 145  pjp@vicbar.com.au 
* Channa DeSilva - Membership Co-ordinator 0402 833 592

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 5, 2019.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE