IT MAY not be a well-known fact, but the first recorded game of women’s cricket in Victoria was in Bendigo between the `Eleven Blues’ and `Eleven Reds’ in 1874.Much time has passed since that game, but women’s cricket in Bendigo is again about to make history with the Women’s Country Cup beginning in town today.The Country Cup will involve six teams - Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies CC, Mallee Murray Heat, Pakenham Upper-Toomac CC, Western Waves, Tasmanian under-23s, and the Kangaroo Flat women’s cricket team.Established in 2009 by Kangaroo Flat player and Crusoe College teacher Jarrod Milsom in conjunction with Cricket Victoria, the Kangaroo Flat women’s team is an opportunity to develop young talent into a competitive cricket team.“We’re really planning for the future,’’ Milsom said.“In two or three years time we’ll have a team of 21-year-olds.“This is our big opportunity to see if our girls are keen to become a cricket club.’’ For the Kangaroo Flat team, the re-introduction of Women’s Country Week is important, with the tournament being one of few opportunties the team has to play competitive cricket.“We need to look at some avenues where we can play,’’ Milsom said.“It’s different for the juniors who play every Saturday and come to train regularly.“In order to be a fully-fledged cricket team we’ll have to go to Melbourne to play.’’Milsom hopes to raise women’s cricket’s profile to that of other regional centres such as Mildura, where women’s cricket is played on a much larger profile.“Mildura has seven different women’s teams,’’ he said.“The teams play 20/20 on Friday nights in Mildura.’’Building the profile of women’s cricket is also on the radar of Cricket Australia, which hopes to raise participation in women’s cricket by 25 per cent over the next four years.At the helm of that charge is Di Day, female project officer at Cricket Victoria, who said Women’s Country Week was a step in the right direction. “We’ve had a great turn out this year and ended up with six teams in Bendigo Country Week,’’ she said.“Women don’t get a lot of opportunities to get involved in recreational Twenty20 comps, especially in the country.“That is why Bendigo’s Women’s Country Week is so important.’’Day acknowledges that for a new team like Kangaroo Flat, Country Week is their opportunity to play competitively for the first time and establish themselves as a senior team.”This competition was perfect for the Kangaroo Flat women’s team,’’ she said.“At present they don’t really have any opportunities to play regular games.“We’re going to try and create other chances for these players to play on a more regular basis.’’Day said Cricket Victoria and the Bendigo District Cricket Association would be working together to ensure Women’s Country Week remained a fixture in the women’s cricket calendar for years to come.“The Bendigo District Cricket Association was so welcoming and really wanted to develop the competition,’’ Day said.“I would hope that in years to come there would be several divisions.“Even if we aim for eight teams in next year’s competition.’’The Bendigo District Cricket Association also supports the push for more senior women’s cricket in Bendigo.BDCA secretary John Hecker believes participation in the sport is increasing.“Women’s cricket is growing at a fairly strong rate,’’ he said.“We think it is important that women are involved.’Hecker is pleased with the efforts of Kangaroo Flat and its work to establish women’s teams in Bendigo.“These day, if the girl is good enough to play with the boys, she now will be included and I think that is starting to be accepted,’’ he said.“It wasn’t always that way.“The Kangaroo Flat team is changing that view and is more like a representative team from the area.“But at this stage we’d be a long way from having another team in Bendigo playing at the level.’’Kangaroo Flat starts its Country Week campaign today against the Mallee Murray Heat at 9am.