It was celebration time for Tamborine Mountain Canungra Bush Rats cricketers Elise Harden and David Andrews, who both picked up end-of-season awards at the recent Gold Coast Cricket presentations.
In her debut season, Miss Harden claimed the Division 1 Women’s Aggregate Wickets award – an impressive feat for someone who’d only played backyard cricket before joining the club.
“I took a few wickets in my first game and just realised it was a really satisfying feeling,” she said.
“I just kept coming to the nets to get better. I was trying to help the team, but also just improve myself.”
Miss Harden’s team stepped up to Division 1 this year, surprising even themselves, and although they narrowly missed the finals, she said the experience helped them grow as a group.
“It was a good challenge. We loved it,” she said.
Mr Andrews was awarded the batting average trophy for the Over 40s Division 2 competition, having scored 180 runs and only being dismissed twice in the regular season – a result helped by retirement rules designed to keep the social competition balanced.
“I’m a bit of an out-of-sorts all-rounder now,” he said.
“But the batting went alright this season.”
He played in both the Masters and Premier third grade teams this year, helping both to the finals, although neither made it to the big dance.
“We just couldn’t finish the job, but it was still a good achievement,” he said.
Now, the club has its eyes set on building for the future.
With four junior teams the previous year and none this past season, there’s a strong push to rebuild numbers for the 2025/26 season.
“Juniors are what keep the club going,” Andrews said.
“We’re really keen to get the word out there, especially for Blasters, which is perfect for five to nine-year-olds.”
The women’s side is also looking to grow, with Miss Harden saying the social, supportive atmosphere makes cricket a perfect sport for newcomers.
“You don’t have to be great. You just have to want to give it a go,” she said.
“It’s about having fun. Winning’s cool, but it’s not everything.”
