WESTERN Waves has changed its expectations for this week’s under 18 girls’ state championships after several players were forced to drop out of the team.
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Manager Loretta Kearney said the Waves would be without Koroit’s Hannah Auld and Hamilton duo Jess Crow and Alicia Frankenburg due to work/family commitments.
The side is also sweating on the availability of state representative and valuable all-rounder Grace Linke, who is sick.
“We’re down to 10 players, maybe even nine,” Kearney said. “Initially we were expecting to go fairly well but now we have all these players out.
“The girls will do what the girls can do. It might just be that it’s a fun tournament and a learning tournament for us.”
The Waves, who were state champions in 2008-09, will play a pair of Twenty20 matches at Geelong Grammar today against Western Spirit and Barwon Rockettes.
Tomorrow they will take on North West Wizards in a 40-over game at Ian Johnson Oval.
Kearney said the side would need to finish top of its pool to progress to Thursday’s semi-final, while the grand final is scheduled to be played next month.
“The players that we’ve got are good players,” she said. “They’ll give 100 per cent every match.”
The team will be coached by Michael Kearney while the captain is Horsham’s Bridie Chesterfield who is set to take on wicketkeeping duties in the absence of Auld.
The side also comprises Rachel Dendle (Purnim), Ellen Hopkins, Maria Moloney (Emmanuel College), Grace Lee (Terang), Nicole Langley (Coleraine), Lauren Tink (Kaniva), Mykala Haddow (Donald) and Jo Zanker (Horsham).
