Rachel Church is first girl named in Adelaide High School’s First XI, selected to train with Scorpions
RACHEL Church might only be 17, but she’s rewritten the state’s cricketing history books by becoming the first girl picked for powerhouse cricket school, Adelaide High’s first XI.
RACHEL Church might only be 17, but she’s rewritten the state’s cricketing history books by becoming the first girl picked for powerhouse cricket school, Adelaide High’s first XI.
The big-hitting wicketkeeper, who also has been selected to train with the SA Scorpions, will make her First XI debut this term at the week-long Five Highs Cricket Carnival in Adelaide – showcasing the nation’s top public schools.
Adelaide High’s established cricket pathways program has 150 young players on its list, including five girls.
Year 11 student Rachel said she was honoured to be selected. “It’s been my dream to make the first XI and to be the first girl is pretty special,” she said.
Adelaide High’s cricket program director Phil Hopton said Rachel was a determined cricketer, who impressed because of her steely demeanour and cricket smarts.
“The thing that impresses is her calmness under pressure,” he said.
“She’s got a no-mess, no-fuss attitude where she just gets on with it. She thinks a lot about her game as well.’
Mr Hopton said Rachel was not only the first girl from Adelaide High to play in High Fives but he couldn’t recall a time when his side had faced a girl cricketer from any of the other Five Highs schools.
Rachel has perfected the art of juggling school with cricket along with her part-time job of netball umpiring.
To help, says Rachel, is “my trusty whiteboard”.
She has three separate training sessions outside of her school team — the state under-18s representative side, A-grade Kensington District Cricket Club and the Scorpions.
Rachel says she needs to remember which assignments are due, which tournaments are played, and if she has time for a spot of fishing.
“The whiteboard is my calendar and everything in blue is cricket and there’s just blue everywhere,” she said.
“I’ve resorted to using dots instead of writing what’s happening because otherwise I just can’t fit it on there.
“All my due dates for school are in green and there’s lots of those too.”
Born on Kangaroo Island, Rachel started playing cricket in the backyard with her older brother, and filled in for his club, Wisanger, where she found herself an eight-year-old playing in the under-16s (the only junior option) boys’ team.
“Being one of the only girls stood out; it’s always been funny being in a boys team because they never know how to react to the girls,” she said.
She relocated to live with her grandparents at O’Halloran Hill when she was selected for Adelaide High’s cricket pathway in Year 8, and found herself one of two girls learning cricket theory and practice along with regular lessons.
She has been playing in the school’s Second XI.
This year, Rachel is studying maths methods, english, PE and fitness and coaching and her whiteboard will come in handy when the cricket season ramps up, but so do the five Year 11 exams she has to study for.
Currently the youngest person in the Scorpions’ 18-player training squad, Rachel said she missed her parents – though her mum is able to visit regularly – but chasing her dream of becoming a professional cricketer was important.
Rachel has a number of other cricket achievements, including making her first A-grade century for Kensington last year and then this year was named captain of the state under-18s and was then selected for an exhibition match at the MCG.
liz.walsh@news.com.au
Originally published as Rachel Church is first girl named in Adelaide High School’s First XI, selected to train with Scorpions