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‘I just wanted to keep going’: Shepparton cricket prodigy Gemma Boyd reflects on maiden century
From being a key pillar of Notre Dame-St Brendan’s recent success at Cricket Shepparton’s junior level to being selected in Victoria’s under-16 squad, it is no secret young gun Gemma Boyd is destined for great heights.
But last weekend was perhaps her crowning moment, as she smashed her first century at any level in Carlton’s big win over Prahran in Melbourne Premier Cricket women’s second division.
Turning the Righetti Oval into her kingdom for the day, Shepparton’s Boyd sent the Prahran bowlers to all parts to finish with a stunning unbeaten 124 off 134 balls to lead the Blues to an imposing total of 5-309.
But what made the knock all the more impressive was the circumstances that faced her early on, as four quick wickets had Carlton reeling at 4-48.
Showing class and maturity well beyond her years, Boyd relished the opportunity to dig her team out of trouble and combined with teammate Fiona Jenkinson to put on a match-winning 163 stand.
An innings that featured nine boundaries and highlighted her ability to pierce gaps, Boyd said it was one of the more satisfying knocks of her career.
“We were under a lot of pressure early losing those four quick wickets, so coming to the crease all I wanted to do was just not get out for a duck, that was my first thought” Boyd said.
“It took me maybe 20 balls to find my groove, but after that I was fine and got on a bit of a roll.
“I thought the way I hit the gaps and ran hard was really good and to be able to help the team in the way I did was really cool.”
Taking a ball-by-ball approach to her innings, Boyd slowly began to inch closer to her previous high score of 94 and that elusive first century.
But when she finally that 100th run, Boyd said she did not take too much notice of the milestone as her mind was solely focused on finishing the job for her team.
“Not much went through my head really (when I got too 100), I just wanted to keep on going,” she said.
“Getting my first century hasn’t been something I’ve thought about too much to be honest, for me it is all about making runs consistently every week.
“This innings will definitely be one I’ll remember for a long time though.”
While she did not get out, there was a unique end to Boyd’s heroic knock which she said her father Lance was not overly pleased with.
“So with about three balls to go I went to play a shot and a huge crack appeared down the front of my bat,” she said.
“My dad wasn’t too happy about it because the bat was his, but it doesn’t matter, at the end of the day I still managed to score runs.”
This innings capped what has been another fantastic season for Boyd.
Plying her trade in the Notre Dame-St Brendan’s under-16 side, she has played a key role in getting it into yet another grand final.
Along with playing locally she also commits to travelling to Melbourne on multiple occasions to play Premier cricket and receive extra training.
“Sometimes it gets a bit tiring, but overall I have just loved playing so much cricket, especially down in Melbourne there are so many people that help you out and, as a result, I have gotten a lot better,” she said.
“At the end of the day I just want to be the best player I can be and, hopefully, this year has put me on the right track.”