Fresh from an exciting inaugural season last summer, the second edition of the SE Female Open Age Cricket League arrives this Sunday with a huge first round.

The same five teams – Mil Lel, South Gambier, North Sportman’s, Naracoorte and Bordertown – return hoping to build on the momentum made in 2020-21 and will start the season in style with a doubleheader in Naracoorte.

The season follows the same structure with each team playing each other once in pink ball T20 games across six rounds criss-crossing the region with weekly stops in Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Bordertown.

The inaugural premier Mil Lel kicks off its title defence against home-team Naracoorte, while Bordertown faces South Gambier and the Tigers have the bye.

Mil Lel secured last year’s premiership with a convincing performance in the Grand Final against Demons.

The victors batted first and compiled 2/141 from its 20 overs before skittling South for 74 to take the trophy in style.

Chloe McKenzie played a key role in Mil Lel’s success, batting the entire innings in the decider, but she will not return to the pitch as she chases further opportunities for Geelong.

However, she will be an even bigger member off the field taking over the tournament organiser role from James Dunn.

McKenzie said there was a great vibe heading into another huge season.

“There is a lot of excitement,” she said.

“I think last season was above and beyond what anyone was expecting, so all the girls are really keen and have been working really hard on improving their skills.

“Every side has a lot of quality and has the potential to win, so consistency will be the key.

“Naracoorte and Bordertown had already played each other for a few years, so the Mount Gambier sides started off a bit behind.

“But this year will be a different story, so it will be an exciting first round.”

Having generated plenty of momentum and put female cricket on the map in the Limestone Coast 12 months ago, McKenzie believes more attention is being focused on the game.

In a pleasing sign, she said there have been plenty of new arrivals to all sides over the winter.

“I feel like we have picked up a lot of players, but have lost others who have moved or got other opportunities,” she said.

“It has generated a lot of interest because there are many new faces.

“I think a lot of clubs may not quite be where they want to be, but it is an open competition where the team that has the bye often fills in for a side that is short.”

Last summer the competition was played across five rounds followed by a huge finals day at Malseed Park.

After it went ahead seamlessly, McKenzie said there was no reason to change the structure of the competition with the same amount of teams playing, while the 2021-22 season could be all wrapped up in just over a month.

“We found the marketing it as a short season all over before Christmas helps draw numbers,” she said.

“It works well having the doubleheader in Bordertown which also gives us a bit of flexibility with COVID because there is a little bit of uncertainty around how many games we will play.”

McKenzie has played plenty of cricket and she said she was pleasantly surprised by the standard set in the South East.

“I was really surprised by how high it was,” she said.

“I have played in a Gippsland based competition and a few games in the Casterton area and batting wise it was similar.

“But bowling wise we have so much talent in terms of bowling with women who are quick and can seam or swing the ball which you do not see much in regional communities.

“If we continue to grow, there will be a massive pool of talent.”

The recent development of a female cricket competition in the Limestone Coast is another example of the women’s game in Australia and around the world.

In March last year, Australia won the women’s T20 World Cup in front of a record-breaking ground of 86,174 at the MCG, while the WBBL continues to grow from strength to strength after kicking off its seventh edition.

The Australian national women’s team is also bracing itself for its biggest year ahead.

Last month it overcame India in a captivating multi-format series, while the Ashes, women’s 50 over Cricket World Cup and Commonwealth Games are all on the line in the next 12 months.

McKenzie feels the greater presence of the women’s game at the elite level is feeding more interest into the grass roots.

“I think everyone involved is watching more and more women’s cricket on the TV,” she said.

“You just learn so much and the quality just continues to increase.

“There are more and more pathways available now for young girls such as one to the Geelong Cricket Club for example and other into Adelaide.”

McKenzie said the next challenge for Limestone Coast women’s cricket to harness all of the momentum and develop a junior competition.

The South East is already sending an Under 16 representative team into the nine-a-side girls Country Cup in December with Mil Lel’s Georgia Barrett and Victoria Radley in the squad.

“We are also looking at getting a female only Woolworths Blast program in January and if we get enough numbers from that we hope to look at an Under 12 girls competition as well,” McKenzie said.

“Mil Mel have had an Under 12 team in the boys competition, but many of them have aged out, so we are hoping to recapture that because it was so successful.

“A lot of those girls as they get older may not want to keep playing against the bigger boys, so that (a junior competition) is the next step.”