Grace Moyle’s star continues to rise, with the young Echuca cricketer recognised at the Victorian Premier Cricket Awards on Friday, April 5 at the MCG.
Moyle was awarded the Under-18 Player of the Tournament for her performance playing for Carlton in the 2023-24 Women’s Premier under-18 competition.
“I was a bit shocked (at the award) to be honest, I thought I performed pretty mediocre, but I perform both with the bat and the ball which helps I guess,” Moyle said.
Moyle called the awards night “very flash”, remarking that the MCG was “a special place to be”.
Moyle compiled 189 runs at an average of 31.5 in six innings in the one-day competition, a tally that helped Carlton reach the competition final, where it fell by six wickets to Melbourne.
The highlight for Moyle came in round five when she scored a massive 96 from 120 deliveries against Box Hill, falling four runs short of a century, but helping her side to victory by 104 runs.
“The day before I injured my shoulder and I could barely swing a bat,” she said.
“I just played to different areas of the ground that I usually wouldn’t.
“Just to places I could get the ball.”
Moyle also put in work with the ball, taking seven wickets at an average of 5.3 for the tournament, including a devastating 4-10 in round four against Essendon Maribyrnong Park as Carlton won by 31 runs.
This is the latest addition to an impressive resume for Moyle, who made significant contributions to Vic Country’s semi-final run at the under-19 national championships in December, top scoring for her side in the opening two rounds.
Moyle has also been competing for Carlton during the summer in the senior sides, where she has remained a useful contributor in her team’s one-day and T20 campaigns.
Part of a one-day side that finished second on the ladder with a 6-4 record, Moyle contributed 199 runs at 19.9 from 12 innings across the regular season and finals.
She also added five wickets at an average of 15.8 for the season.
In the T20 competition, Moyle made six appearances, providing a handy 41 runs and taking one wicket for the season as Carlton won the competition.
“It’s been a great experience,” Moyle said of competing in the senior sides.
“I’ve got to play with players that have played Big Bash and have a world of experience and they’ve helped me a lot this season to develop my game.
“So I’ve been given a lot of opportunities and it’s helped me expand my game.”
Moyle hopes to earn selection in Cricket Victoria’s under-19 Female Emerging Players Program again this year, after being a part of the program in 2023-24.