Cricket ACT's eight grade clubs have unanimously decided to delay its inaugural four-team women's league by three weeks, so as not to weaken the competition with 10 Meteors players away on Women's Big Bash duties.
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That means the eagerly anticipated new competition, Canberra's strongest ever female league, will begin on the last weekend of November, three weeks after senior and junior competition resumes following the ACT's lengthy lockdown.
The unprecedented women's competition will include all contracted Meteors players, and combine the best female talent from around the region into four merged teams.
Weston Creek/Molonglo has joined forces with Tuggeranong, Queanbeyan with ANU, Western District with ANU and North Canberra/Gungahlin links with Ginninderra.
It will be underpinned by a second-grade competition, with Cricket ACT confirming this week all eight grade clubs have committed to entering a team.
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"We drew a line in the sand and said if we're going to do this, let's do it properly," Cricket ACT boss Olivia Thornton said.
"We had that commitment from the club presidents and credit to them, they've stuck with that. They've invested some additional resources in ensuring this competition not only gets up, but is sustainable.
"We talk about the integrity of competitions but also sustainability of competitions is a really important factor there. I know the girls in terms of the Meteors are really excited, and can't wait to come up against each other, similar to what they're doing from a WBBL perspective now.
"It is a really important strategic move for us as well in terms of keeping talent in Canberra and enhancing our local competitions."
The WBBL begins in Tasmania on Thursday, with Meteors players sprinkled across seven of the eight franchises.
Captain Angela Reakes is with wicketkeeper Matilda Lugg at the Sydney Sixers, while Olivia Porter will represent the cross-town Thunder.
Erin Osborne (Melbourne Stars) and Carly Leeson (Melbourne Renegades) have spent the past fortnight in hard quarantine in Tasmania, from which they were released from on Thursday.
Katie Mack and Maddie Penna will play with the Adelaide Strikers, Nicola Hancock and Zoe Cooke are with the Brisbane Heat while Chloe Rafferty is back at the Hobart Hurricanes.
"It is another sign of the quality athletes we do have in our system," Thornton said.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
