Sport

Moyle a moment-maker at Country Championships

By Matthew Kappos

Jan 15, 2026

Echuca export Grace Moyle celebrates after claiming the title-sealing wicket against NSW at the Australian Country Cricket Championships. Photo: Peter Argent/SACA

Victoria is once again the Australian Country Cricket Championships women’s premier and Echuca product Grace Moyle is a big reason why.

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After leading the way with the ball across the first five games of the tournament Moyle wrapped up her campaign on Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9 with two more strong performances in South Australia.

On Thursday against Queensland, Moyle came in at five and second top-scored for her side in the heat-shortened T20 contest, making 20 from 22, before she was run out in the desperate late scramble for runs.

Victoria would fall two runs short of the 110 needed to claim the victory, Moyle earlier bowling a single tidy over which yielded three runs and a wicket.

With four wins and two losses Victoria then headed into a title-deciding clash against the ladder-leading NSW outfit, which had handed Vic its only other loss in convincing fashion earlier in the tournament.

Grace Moyle receives her Baggy Green after earning a Team of the Championships selection. Photo: Peter Argent/SACA

After being bowled out for 58 in that game, Victoria performed much better batting first in the crucial one-day match, with strong efforts at the top guiding the side to a modest, but defendable 137.

As she had throughout the tournament Moyle kept things tight with the ball, snagging a middle order wicket caught and bowled with some quick reactions.

As the game began to approach its climax it was clear it would come down to wickets, NSW nine down, but also only nine runs short of Victoria’s target.

Moyle was thrown the ball at the crucial moment and delivered in style, snaring the final wicket within three deliveries, claiming the match, tournament and shield retention for Victoria.

Grace Moyle took 12 wickets at 6.42, second most and best average for the tournament. Photo: Peter Argent/SACA

Moyle took 12 wickets for the competition, the second most of any bowler, at a championships best average of 6.42.

She would finish eighth on the champion player ladder, earning a Team of the Championships selection.

After the tournament Moyle was straight back into action for Carlton’s first XI in Victorian Premier Cricket, making 17 runs and bowling three overs in a defeat to Geelong.

Kyabram’s Kyle Mueller was in action for the men’s Victorian side in Western Australia, making 313 runs at 44.71 to finish second on the batting charts.