Champions ready to be back on deck

MILDURA West would love to claim back-to-back Sunraysia Cricket Association women’s titles, but just enjoying the game is most important.

The nine-team women’s competition restarts on Friday night with the Twenty20 fixtures set to run through until March.

After Coomealla Wentworth fielded a combined side with Nichols Point last campaign, the Blues are slated to have a standalone team while the Pointers will have two teams in action.

Reigning champions West will open their season against Mildura East at John Hall Oval and captain-coach Breanna Smith, who holds both roles alongside Tara Martin, said her squad was looking forward to the new campaign.

“Following footy season and holidays there’s a few girls only starting to get back in the last few weeks, but we’ve got close to the same side as last year,” Smith said.

“We all get along so well and it makes Fridays really enjoyable, which is what you want more than anything.

“Of course we’d love to go back to back, but it’s really about us having some fun, enjoying each other’s company and helping to develop the younger girls in the squad as well.

“We’ve lost a couple of girls who aren’t playing for various reasons but we’ve managed to add a few more, and we know we’ll have a couple of girls heading off to uni in the new year so it’s handy knowing we have a few extra numbers before finals come around.”

In other contests, Merbein face off with Gol Gol at Chaffey Park, Coomealla Wentworth host Nichols Point Green at George Gordon Oval, and Mildura Settlers tackle Irymple at Mildura Senior College.

Nichols Point Gold have the bye.