Bowling the opposition over

– Sarah Schwager
PEARCEDALE now sports Victoria’s best primary school cricket team.
The team from Pearcedale Primary School stormed through six competitions to become the state champions in the Victorian Primary School Sports Association (VPSSA) cricket competition.
The group of grade six boys proved that when it comes to cricket they have what it takes.
Pearcedale Primary School physical education teacher Brendan McDonough was very impressed at how well they had done.
The team first tackled the local district competition early last year, then went on to the zone finals last October in Mount Eliza.
After winning the zone competition they competed in the regional finals last November.
They won that and were off to Ringwood to play in the state round robin competition in the semi-final at Yarra Valley Grammar.
After winning that competition they played in the state grand final at Apollo Parkways Primary School in Greensborough on Thursday, 8 December.
Mr McDonough said they played extremely well and while it was a close game the Pearcedale team managed to just nose its way to the front to become the state champions.
Most of the boys in the team play for the Pearcedale Cricket Club out of school.
“They are well coached by their coaches out of school,” Mr McDonough said. “It’s certainly not all my doing.”
Each of the boys was presented with a medallion.
“They’re the only team at the school to win a state final in any sport in the last 20 years that I’m aware of,” Mr McDonough said.
The team was planning to give the teachers a run for their money in a special staff-student cricket match in the last week of school.