Cheryl from Kernot in cricket’s Hall of Fame

SOMETIMES cricket provides the community with a pleasant surprise. 

Amongst the community, and unbeknown to the community, is one of cricket’s support staff that so often go unrecognised. 

The Victorian Country Cricket League addressed this by inducting Cheryl Connolly into the Victorian Country Cricket League’s (VCCL) Hall of Fame last Sunday. 

Her presentation mentions her as “a very important part of the off-field leadership team supporting the Victorian men’s team at the National Championships over a period stretching from 2003 to 2018.” 

Cheryl provided physiotherapy services to the state team on a voluntary basis for most of the fortnight long annual tournaments.

Cheryl’s cricketing journey started with the Ferntree Gully Football Cricket Club. She massaged the Ferntree Gully Cricket Association’s team at Melbourne Country Week for 15 years. 

Her support role with the VCCL has taken her to every state in Australia except Tasmania, and she often came across Test cricketers the calibre of Merv Hughes and Jason Gillespie. 

The Victorian team won the National Championship in 2004 and 2007.

Cheryl came to Kernot six years ago and her involvement with the Victorian Country Cricket’s peak body has been a well-kept secret. 

If only those who played in the Kernot Boxing Day charity cricket match knew of Cheryl’s healing hands.  

Cheryl is a sports and remedial therapist, works as an ambulance community officer and her company Healthguard First Aid – amongst other health related service – are instrumental in installing and managing heart defibrillators and conducting CPR courses throughout the community.

The Victorian Country Cricket League will celebrate its 100th season in 2026/27. 

It is the organisation responsible for Country Week cricket in Melbourne.