BDCA women’s 1st-grade: Donnybrook star Steph Jolly says supportive environment key to club’s success

After her side sealed back-to-back Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association women’s 1st-grade premierships, star Donnybrook all-rounder Steph Jolly says a supportive environment is the key to their success. Donnybrook won their second consecutive flag in the competition with a 62-run win over the Colts in the grand final at Egan Park on Sunday. On the back of her competition-record score of 147 in last year’s season decider, Jolly again stepped up on the big stage, picking up the amazing figures of 6-15 from her six overs with the ball after top-scoring with 38 from 27 deliveries with the bat. The all-rounder said she had battled against the weight of her own expectations after her dominant season last year, but she had “still really enjoyed my cricket because it’s such a fun environment to be in.” “All my teammates are so supportive, they all have the right attitude, they’re in it to play in a fair and enjoyable way,” she said. “Everyone’s focused on helping each other, which I think is why it’s such a successful team. “One of my teammates always tells me before I go out to bat to have fun, which I think is really important.” Remarkably, Jolly’s success with the ball came in only her second game bowling off spin, having claimed her prior six wickets for the season bowling off the long run. She said the encouragement she received when she pitched the idea was another example of the positivity in the group. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a bit,” she said. “Lisa Smith is one of our best bowlers and she gave me the confidence, she said ‘just do it’. “Out on the field, her and Ash (Towers) are always backing me in and telling me to do my thing, which I think really helps.” Jolly has established herself as one of the competition’s leading players in only in her second season back playing cricket after ageing out of the game as a junior due to a lack of female competition, but she said her main focus was on enjoying the sport. “There’s always more to learn, which is good,” she said. “I enjoy training, that’s where I get to free myself up and follow my natural instincts.” Jolly said she was hopeful that most of her teammates would be back next season for a shot at a three-peat.