Steven sets the scene with his 100 games

Steven Ball’s 100^th game in the last round before the Christmas break was a special moment in the modern history of the Moonee Valley Cricket Club.

Steven was part of Moonee Valley's Brave New World of 2003/04 when we embarked on the journey that broke out from the mould of just four senior teams and a couple of juniors, and which culminated in us becoming at one stage the biggest cricket club in Victoria.

He was part of the group of cricket dads – Steven’s son Robbie was at that stage playing in the Moonee Valley juniors – who were induced, cajoled or threatened into pulling on the whites themselves.

Steven is the first of that group of debutants that formed our Fifth Eleven that has gone on to play 100 games, and a look at Wisden shows all the awards he's won along the way. Steven has won batting, bowling and fielding awards in the Fifths and Sixths, and captained our one-day grades.

He was one of our five Wisden Players of the Year in 2007/08, in the Moonee Valley Team of the Year in that season, and was the inaugural Fourth Eleven Most Valuable Player in 2009/10.

Along the way Steven snared an innings haul of 7/13 – only 11 other players in Moonee Valley’s history have a better haul – and hit his maiden century, 110 not out, in 2007/08.

To the start of this season Steven had scored 1620 runs at 23.8, and taken 111 wickets at 18.7 – bowling either left or right arm as the mood took him.

He’s played all grades from Seconds down, and made an impression wherever he’s played.

“As one who also embarked on the journey in our expansion season of 2003/04, I'm in awe of what Steven has achieved,” club president Charlie Walker said.

“Steven has been a wonderful ornament to our club, both as a captain, a player and as a junior coach.”

Steven brought up his 100^th game in the Fourths – with teammates Alan Harry and Dean Lawson bringing up their 50-game milestones in the same match.

January 4, 2005

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Steven sets the scene with his 100 games

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