Sport
22 January, 2025
Fifth win in a row for Goldfield Ashes women's team
FBI defended their crown by going undefeated in Charters Towers.
Mount Isa cricket veteran Bev Peters said it was a special feeling to be part of the women’s team that won its fifth Goldfield Ashes tournament in a row over the weekend.
While Bev took a back seat for the infamous FBI side, allowing other members of the squad to show their wares with bat and ball, she said she was still very much part of the team which has proven almost impossible to beat in recent years.
Two Mount Isa women also made the trip to Charters Towers for the annual cricket carnival – Tennille and Kim Smith – while Bev’s husband Rob Peters was the scorer and Ross “Banana Man” Smales did the umpiring.
Asked what made the FBI team so hard to beat, Bev had a simple answer.
“Getting the right girls,” she said with a laugh.
“We probably had the hardest draw out of everyone and going into the last day we didn’t think we were going to finish on top, so we had to work hard to win it this year.”
There were several undefeated teams in the women’s division, with points allocated for wins, but also wickets and runs. Bev said she missed being a strong contributor the team, having been a stalwart for FBI over many years.
“I fielded on the first day but I’m not that fastest any more so I sat out so we could chase wins ... we wanted to defend our title,” she said.
“My ambition is to get a bit fitter so I can be back out there next year.”
The FBI side played all of its matches at the Charters Towers Airport, with ovals scattered throughout the historic gold mining community and neighbouring properties.
“I’d love for it to return to the Australia Day weekend because it brings a great atmosphere to the town,” said Bev.
“We don’t see each other for 11 months of the year, so the Ashes is like a sporting family reunion with the girls cramming 11 months’ worth of gossip and stories into three days.”
The sporting veteran said the trip was made possible by the support of local businesses Procoat, Calibre, SIS, Re-gen and Topfire.