The fringe Otago Sparks player and Otago Cricket Association development office has helped resurrect women’s club cricket in the city.
No-one at Otago Cricket can say for sure, but it has been about 40 years since there was a female club competition in the city.
For players like Gray that meant there has effectively been no team to play for.
That will all change on October 29 when the Dunedin Female League makes its debut.
"I think it is a really important part of our pathway for cricket in Dunedin and Otago that we’ve clearly been missing for a while," Gray said.
"It will be massive for all of our younger girls who kind of haven’t had anywhere to go. If they haven’t quite made the Sparks or the age group teams, then there is nothing for them. Those are the players we want to give an opportunity to."
Somehow the Sparks were able to put together a championship-winning team without the support of a feeder competition.
They won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield last season and also made the final of the Super Smash.
The Sparks players will not be available for the opening weekend of the competition, but will be available for round two.
There are four teams in the division 1 — Lightning, Thunder, Storm and Fire. There are also another two teams playing in division 2 which is a kind of development competition.
The six teams will play T20 and one-day games. And whites are out. The women will play in colour tops.
"We’re hoping for a really good quality competition but also a good social aspect around the competition as well."
The competition is being supported by Otago Cricket, who see it as a strategic investment.
Gray and competitions manager Nic Kittelty were charged with getting the league up and running.
"We’ve done a lot of the work but it has been a real group effort with a lot of our volunteers throughout Dunedin," said Gray.
"It is very exciting. We are almost there. It has almost come to fruition."
