Victoria’s sporting elite will go head to head in a 10-a-side cricket showdown at Windy Hill on Australia Day, an event proudly supported by iPrimus.
The day will incorporate football and cricket activities and celebrate the partnership both teams share with the GloBall program – a joint initiative which aims to use Australian sport as a vehicle to engage international students and newly arrived migrants with the Australian community.
The Essendon team will have their work cut out for them as they take on a star-studded DEC Bushrangers line-up. Led by coach James Hird, the Bombers’ side will feature Jobe Watson, Jason Winderlich, Angus Monfries, David Zaharakis, Brent Stanton and Ricky Dyson.
Hird said he was confident his team could claim the Australia Day honours despite the calibre of talent on the opposition side.
“Brent Stanton, Ricky Dyson and Jason Winderlich were all handy cricketers growing up and could give us some tips in the lead up to the showdown,” Hird said.
“Monfries and Zaharakis are still able to sneak into local cricket matches after being mistaken for junior cricketers and have been getting in some extra practice on my kids’ team.”
The DEC Bushrangers have a range of Twenty20 superstars to select their side from including all-rounders Andrew McDonald and John Hastings, paceman Dirk Nannes and Shane Harwood and big hitters Aaron Finch, Matt Prior and Rob Quiney.
McDonald will be hoping to spear his side to a comfortable victory but sighted Hird and Monfries as a potentially dangerous combination to open the batting for the Bombers.
“Monfries was playing a few shots today and looked alright,” he said.
“And we know that Hirdy is capable of great things so if they start to slog a few we might just have to send in Dirk Nannes to straighten them out.
“Rumour is that Hirdy is going to open the batting so we’ll make sure we target him with a few short balls.
“It should be a great day; I’m looking forward to seeing what the Bomber boys can dish up to us.”
Both teams will include a winner from online competitions on the team’s relevant website (essendonfc.com.au or bushrangers.com.au) and a junior member of the Essendon Cricket Club. They will also include a participant from the GloBall program.
In an attempt to level out the competition, the following modified rules will be applied:
- Batsman bat in pairs and face two overs.
- Teams lose three runs every time they lose a wicket and the batsmen must then swap ends.
- Essendon players can't go out first ball.
- The Victorian players must run every time they hit the ball.
- Essendon can dismiss Victorian batsman if they catch the ball one hand after one bounce.
WHERE: Windy Hill, Napier Street, Essendon
TIME: 10.30am – Gates open
11.30am – Fan engagement activities
12.15pm – 10-a-side cricket showdown
1.00pm – Autograph and photo opportunities
EFC/CV GLOBALL PROGRAM
Launched in 2009, the GloBALL program is a joint initiative run by the Essendon Football Club and Cricket Victoria which aims to help international students and newly arrived migrants settle into life in Australia. In 2010, the program saw more than 4000 participants receive the opportunity to participate in various football and cricket activities including free entry to matches, clinics and tours. Research indicates that international students and newly arrived migrants face issues around safety and experience cultural and communication barriers when dealing with local students and communities. The GloBALL program aims to break down these barriers by building a supportive social network among the group outside the university environment.
This Saturday night the DEC Bushrangers take on arch-rivals New South Wales at the MCG in a crucial KFC Twenty20 Big Bash Match. Get down to support the DEC Bushrangers, as tickets are still available.
