Lots of laughs and plenty of fun mixed with some genuinely impressive skills.
It was only the first round, but the inaugural Bendigo District Cricket Association women's competition looks to be a hit.
Eight teams took to the field for Sunday's opening round - Strathdale-Maristians and Bendigo have two teams each, with Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat, Strathfieldsaye and Emu Creek rounding out the league.
Played on hard wickets, the women's competition is all about fun and introducing women to cricket.
The season runs for six weeks and the format of the games are 20 overs per side, with similar rules to indoor cricket where teams are deducted runs for wickets lost and batters have limited time at the crease.
While the scoreboard means little in the competition's infancy, there was some impressive cricket played at times.
At Allingham Street, Kangaroo Flat scored a first-up 41-run win over Golden Square.
Ella Gill (29 not out) and Rindy Sawyer (20 not out) led the way with the bat for the Roos, while Chelsea Wearne (3-5) and Shasta Maher (2-8) showed plenty of talent with the ball.
Strathdale-Maristians chased down Bendigo's big total of 4-161.
In an even team performance, Lila Keck top-scored for the Goers with 24, while Lindsay Simpson added 22 not out.
Nikki Lockhart had a great all-round game for Strathdale, making 26 not out with the bat and taking 2-12 with the ball.
Mackenzie Nally had a day out for Bendigo Goers in their game against Emu Creek.
Nally made 45 not out off 20 balls in the Goers score of 3-185 and then took 3-4 as they restricted Emu Creek to 7-158.
Emu Creek's Paige Conder produced the best batting performance of the round.
Conder smashed 60 not out off 20 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes.
The Strathdale-Maristians Suns edged out Strathfieldsaye by 23 runs.
The Suns made 4-169, with eight players scoring in double figures.
Jayne Demeo hit five boundaries in her top score of 24 not out. Suns' captain Shelley DeAraugo added 17 not out.
Skipper Sharon Kemp was best with the bat for the Jets, compiling 37 not out.
Round two fixtures next Sunday are - Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat at Tannery Lane, Bendigo v Bendigo Goers at Shadforth Park, Golden Square v Emu Creek at Allingham Street and Strathdale-Maristians v Strathdale-Maristians Suns at Beischer Park.
The BDCA's new under-16 girls competition will start on Wednesday, November 6.
Four teams are entered for the under-16 girls - Bendigo, Bendigo United, Sandhurst-Maiden Gully and Strathfieldsaye.
The under-16 competition will run for eight rounds - five pre-Christmas and three when school resumes in February.
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