Grace Jones is into the final three of the Melbourne Renegades recruit and needs Greater Geelong’s help to make her cricket dream come true.
The Renegades Recruit searches for the best players in community cricket competitions across the state with the potential to play at a higher level.
Televised as a two-part miniseries, 11 young cricketers tried out at St Kilda’s Junction Oval before the squad was first cut to six and then three.
Geelong and Armstrong Creek Cricket Club leg-spinner Grace, 18, made it through, with the winner to be decided by a viewer’s vote and by Renegades Renegades WBBL coach Simon Helmot.
“Anytime you get to train at the Junction is good, the facilities are unreal,” Grace said.
“You get to see where the talentpool is and see their skill sets. I was more nervous when they were reading out the final six (in episode one) than the final three (in episode two).
“The whole day was an opportunity to put myself out there. I’m still very grateful.”
Grace has played Premier cricket at the women’s level, but has also excelled in the men’s game with Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association club Armstrong Creek. She played in the Titans’ A2 Grade premiership in 2021/22, taking 17 wickets for the season.
“They’ve got a great culture at Armstrong Creek,” she said.
Grace first started playing as a medium pace bowler when she was 12, but took up leg-spin not long after.
“I used to bowl medium pace and was fairly accurate,” she said.
“I got a lot of wickets bowled. But then I thought if I’m going to get really serious, I’m not going to bowl quick enough to get very far.”
And now this is where you get to help Grace be the next WBBL star by voting.
“It would be really cool for someone local to have a crack,” she said.
To watch both episodes and help Grace win the competition, which will bring a unique high-performance opportunity with the Renegades to further develop her cricket, head to melbournerenegades.com.au and cast your vote for Grace Jones. Voting closes at 11.59pm Friday June 30.
