Essendon Prepares For 'biggest Day In Club History'

The Sunday Age

Sunday January 18, 2009

BRAD BEITZEL

ESSENDON'S 100 members will decide this Thursday whether to move out of Windy Hill, its home since 1872, to Cross Keys Reserve.

Dons president Jim McConnell said the vote on the proposal from the Essendon Football Club to fund the development of a new pavilion and to upgrade the ground and facilities is "the biggest day in the club's history" and "it will be very emotional as 50- and 60-year members only know one thing, and that's Windy Hill".

A majority vote is required and McConnell said ongoing financial support from the football club was included.

Rachael Haynes hit eight runs off the last over to lift Victoria Spirit to victory over NSW in the Twenty20 match at Homebush yesterday. Haynes, who did it with a ball to spare, is in a purple patch, carrying her bat the previous Saturday in the 50-over match against WA at the Junction Oval, making 98 not out. "I've never been in a situation like that," Haynes said of the last-over run chase.

The Spirit today begins back-to-back 50-over matches against NSW to determine which of the sides will host the Women's National Cricket League final.

Ringwood had to wait four months to unfurl its first premiership flag due to its home ground, the Russell Lucas Oval, being resurfaced. But what's 16 weeks when the Rams' journey to the pinnacle of Premier Cricket has taken 45 years?

And Ringwood (7-225 declared), in top place this season, celebrated by taking first-innings honours over finals aspirant Footscray-Edgewater (84 and 0-1) in the Saturday-Saturday round. Paceman Steve Gilmour snared five wickets and seamer Mike King four, while David King hit 103 not out.

Prahran's Steve Seymour (137 not out) created a record seventh-wicket partnership of 234 with Sam Coates (114), when Prahran (7-402) hosted Essendon. Seymour bludgeoned 160 not out at Monash University last year when the same pair set the club record for the eighth wicket (222).

Lowly Richmond (322) is ready to cause a boilover over fifth-placed Melbourne (1-5) after Sussex all-rounder Chris Nash made his biggest score in Premier Cricket with 125.

Hawks debutant 17-year-old Brendan Goss took a wicket with his first ball in Premier Cricket, having Geelong opener Shaun Dean (46) caught. Geelong made 8-287.

Grandfather Scott Atkinson debuted for Camberwell and nearly matched his age of 40 with his top score for the Magpies with 42 not out at Northcote.

© 2009 The Sunday Age

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