Army women and Navy men were the forces to be reckoned with, while Air Force settled for some stellar individual performances, in the ADF cricket championships in Canberra late last month.
The week-long tournament featured one-day and T20 versions of the game and followed a training camp at the Cricket Centre of Excellence in Sydney.
The ADF men’s and women’s squads were named after the tournament, and the men’s combined services team went on to win a one-day match against Linfield Cricket Club in Sydney on November 27.
Navy men come home with a wet sail
Navy men cruised to victory in the one-day competition and won the T20 final in a slightly closer affair.
They beat Air Force by 100 runs in their opening one-day game, bowling the aviators out in 41 overs. They then chased down Army with a handful of wickets and overs left in the second match.
In the T20, they defeated Air Force by 104 runs after a brief stop in play for weather, ahead of meeting the aviators again in the final.
The sailors batted first and set a target of 206 after 20 overs.
Team captain Petty Officer Corey Evans led the charge with 51 runs from 35 balls in the first innings before a standout bowling performance from Petty Officer Alexander Brown, who took 4-18 as Air Force fell 91 runs short.
While the Navy women were unable to get a win, team captain Sub Lieutenant Terez Lofts said the tournament marked a turning point, with Navy now fielding a competitive side after struggling to make numbers in recent years.
Opening batsman Seaman Emily Aberline was named one-day player of the tournament and Sub Lieutenant Lilly Felder showed promise, scoring 51 not out against Army in her first competition.
“Starting with the training camp, every day and every game the girls got better,” Sub Lieutenant Lofts said.
“For some of them, it was the first time they’d picked up a cricket bat.”
Four women and eight men were selected for the ADF squad.
Army women savour the silverware
Army won both women’s competitions, while their male counterparts went down to Navy in the one-day final following a win against the aviators on points after the match was washed out.
The men were all out for 179 on the last ball of the innings, before the sailors chased down the total in 44 overs. They also experienced straight losses in the T20.
The women lost last year’s one-day comp to the aviators and won the T20. This year, they got one back on Air Force, finishing the tournament undefeated.
Team captain Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Melissa Campbell said although they were confident going in, victory was far from certain.
“We had a bunch of players who hadn’t played service cricket before but we all came together to make one awesome team,” WO2 Campbell said.
This tournament was the last for WO2 Shelly-Louise Chattin, who debuted for the team in 2013, the first year Army women took to the pitch.
The veteran said goodbye in style, taking 4-13 off three overs in the T20 match against Air Force.
Six women and four men were selected to represent Defence.
Air Force players hit the heights
Despite some starring performances from individual players, Air Force men and women missed out on taking home any silverware.
The men finished third in the one-day round-robin comp and second in the T20.
Team captain Corporal Tom Lavender said his squad was in a rebuilding phase after the departure of experienced players in the wake of Covid interruptions.
“For the guys that hadn’t played full-time cricket, playing against quality opponents was an eye-opener,” Corporal Lavender said.
The women, defending one-day champs, fared a little better, finishing second in both forms of the game.
Captain Leading Aircraftwoman Tayla Seymour said her players could hold their heads high despite the result.
“It’s hard to expect to get it right all the time when we come together with players who are new to the sport,” Leading Aircraftwoman Seymour said.
“We came close and I don’t think we could be any prouder. Unfortunately, we didn’t come away with the biscuit.”
Air Force players Leading Aircraftwoman Seymour and Flight Lieutenant Rebecca Green were named women’s batter and bowler of the tournament respectively.
Leading Aircraftwoman Seymour was also named women’s T20 player of the tournament and selected to captain the combined services team.
Five RAAF women and three men made the ADF squad.
