Eastfield Cricket Club

The Eastfield Cricket Club was founded in 1973 in Croydon, Victoria, Australia (a suburb of Melbourne). A member of the , the club plays at Benson Oval.
The club got off to a good start, winning its first premiership in only its second year (the E-grade side won in 1974-75). However, it would be more than a decade before the senior club would again have premiership success. In the meantime the club's junior sides developed, with premierships in the under-12s in 1976-77 and 1981-82 (following an undefeated season) and the under-16s in 1983-84.
The club's next first-eleven premiership finally came in 1987-88, with the team winning the RDCA's B1-grade competition. The club also received its first significant individual award, with M. Pappas winning the Stuart Newey Medal for the RDCA's best and fairest.
Over the next ten years, however, the club fell on hard times times; the number of senior members dropped significantly, and the junior sides were disbanded. It was not until the late 1990s that the club again began to gain some momentum, soon reflected by its on-field success. With only two senior sides, the club won three successive premierships in the 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02 seasons; the club won its second first-eleven premiership during the 2000-01 season.
In recent years the club has continued to develop with the reintroduction of a third eleven, consistent performances by all senior sides and regular finals appearances. In 2005-06 the club enjoyed one of its best seasons, with the first losing in the final by 26 runs, just missing promotion to Wilkens Cup competition. Captain/coach Rob Henderson enjoyed a good season, winning the club's second Stewart Newey Medal. The 2006-07 season may have been the best in club history (as of 2011), with all three sides qualifying for the finals. The first and second sides narrowly missed, whilst the third eleven (after not winning a game the previous season) won the M-grade premiership.
2007-08 was a poor season; the club's first 11 was relegated from premier grade, finishing last after making the finals in the previous two years. The second eleven played better, losing only two games for the year; after winning the G-grade premiership, they were promoted to a higher grade. The Milo "Have a Go" numbers were up significantly in its second year, with over 30 children participating. The 2008-09 season began with the under-12s and under-14s competing for the first time in 15 years and the introduction of the club's first-ever fourth eleven, ensuring the club's future for years to come.
While Eastfield is one of the smaller clubs of the RDCA, it hopes to build on its recent success both on and off the field and continue to be a strong, successful cricket club.

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