North Ballarat All Abilities

Registrations for 2026-27 MAACA Competition are now open!

There is no Club Membership fee - only the mandatory Cricket Australia insurance fee.

Register here:

www.playhq.com

Cricket Victoria is pleased to announce the commencement of trials for the 2027 National Cricket Inclusion Championships!

Trials for Victoria's Intellectual Disability (ID) team commence next week, with information on the remaining team trials to follow.

📅 Sunday August 23
⏰ 10AM to 12PM
📍 Indoor Nets, Junction Oval

👉 Register now to take part: https://tr.ee/2gCigb

We are currently seeking an experienced and passionate person to join us as our All Abilities Coach.

Find out more here:

www.northballaratcc.com

It is with sadness that we advise that our Head Coach, Mr David Sproules, has not sought reappointment for the upcoming 2026/27 season.

Whilst incredibly disappointed to lose David's services, we are incredibly thankful for his passion, effort and contributions to the program over the last 3 years. His professionalism, attention to detail, and care for our players and their families has been first class, and the program will greatly miss his influence. David completed 3 seasons in the role, culminating in our first ever MAACA finals series in 2025/26.

The search is now on for a replacement Head Coach - if you know anyone who would excel in the role, please reach out to us.

Regards,

Scott Wright - President NBCC

Presentation night

🐓 North Ballarat – Presentation Night 🏏

A fantastic evening celebrating our season at Presentation Night, recognising the effort, commitment and achievements of our entire group. It’s been an incredible year, and the growth and spirit shown by everyone involved has been something truly special.

🏆 Best & Fairest
Michael Roach 🐓
Awarded winner after an outstanding season.

🥈 Runner-Up
Corey Ellison Ballantine 🐓

🥉 Third Place
Mas 🐓

📈 Most Improved
Lukey Ward 🐓
A huge season of development and effort — well earned recognition.

🥇 Golden Duck Award
Lukey Ward 🐓

🎯 Most Consistent Player
Mark “Pebbles” 🐓
For his dedication every single game, always giving his all no matter the circumstances.

👏 Acknowledgements
A special mention to every single player who was recognised on the night — each of you should be incredibly proud of your efforts and the role you played this season.

To our supporters, families and friends, thank you for your ongoing encouragement and backing throughout the year. Your support never goes unnoticed and means so much to the group.

A huge and heartfelt thank you to the North Ballarat Sports Club for their incredible support of our team and program. Your commitment to providing opportunities and backing our players is truly appreciated.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Unlock Possibilities for their continued support and for helping make this program what it is today.

A big thank you to our club board for their ongoing support and belief in the program — it plays a vital role in what we’re building.

Special appreciation to our coaching group, Sarah and David, for their dedication, leadership and the care they show to every player. Your impact across the season has been outstanding.

⭐ Coaches Award
Tim Michelle 🐓
Awarded to a truly deserving individual whose contribution, attitude and commitment to the team has been outstanding.

👏 Reflections
From me, Gordo (Team Manager), I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of you. Being part of this club means the world to me, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you all for your commitment, your passion, and for making this season so memorable.

We can’t wait to see everyone back next year as we continue to push onwards and upwards. ⚫⚪🐓🏏

🐓 North Ballarat – Match Report | First Final v Carrum Downs 🏏

A big day for our group as we played our first final against Carrum Downs. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go the way we’d hoped, but the effort and spirit shown by the boys was something to be incredibly proud of.

We were dealt a tough hand on the way down with a couple of our key players becoming unavailable, leaving us two short. Against quality opposition in a final, that was always going to test us. Carrum Downs were simply too strong on the day — particularly Rick Curtis, who made a real impact on the game.

With the ball and in the field we were outgunned, but the effort never wavered. We made the best of the experience, kept competing and represented our club with pride right until the final ball.

⭐ Star of the Day
Lukey Ward 🐓
Lukey led the way with the bat as our top scorer, standing tall when we needed someone to take it on.

🏏 Batting
• Lukey Ward top scored and showed great composure under pressure.
• Strong contributions and intent from Roachy & Corey, both working hard at the crease.

🎯 Bowling & Fielding
• A challenging day in the field against a strong batting line-up.
• The effort and energy were there, but Carrum Downs capitalised and proved too good on the day.

🙏 Thank Yous
A massive thank you to Carrum Downs for their hospitality and the way they hosted the day. We wish them all the very best in the final.

A huge thank you to The Courier for their article today highlighting the match — it means a lot to our group to have our All Abilities program recognised and celebrated.

The courier article https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/9186493/between-the-wickets-finds-all-abilities-joy-in-metro-finals/?src=rss&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Post&fbclid=IwZnRzaAQQu75leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeW2-gCOtaUBUAM4OH1CiCRPI0_JvS_WAow3liuzEPlfLACycTLD0epeeFgow_aem_--JZtTQgKrZGIhls80mXNw

Thank you also to 3BA for their continued support across the season.

We are incredibly grateful to the Taverners for supporting the competition, and to the MAACA committee for the work they do behind the scenes to create opportunities like this for our players.

Huge appreciation as well to:
• Brooke for stepping in as Team Manager at the last minute — your support was invaluable.
• Sarah for her continued outstanding work as our Head Coach.
• Kyle for getting us there and backing the group all season.
• Scott Wright for setting us up so well on the day.
• The North Ballarat Sports Club for their ongoing support throughout the year.

📅 Presentation Day
Our Presentation Day is planned for Sunday the 22nd at the Sports Club — more details to follow shortly.

While the season didn’t finish with a win, making our first final is a significant achievement for this group. The growth, resilience and team spirit shown across the year has been outstanding.

Proud of the effort. Proud of the group. Onward and upward. ⚫⚪🐓🏏

Coach
David Sproules
On behalf of
Head Coach
Sarah Parker – CHIL Ballarat