Elite Brisbane private school Clayfield College at the cutting edge of the surge in girls’ cricket.
Elite Brisbane private school at the cutting edge in dramatic surge involving girls playing cricket.
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Elite Brisbane private school Clayfield College is at the cutting edge of the surge in girls playing cricket.
Clayfield College, who recently appointed former head coach of the Sri Lankan women’s team Harsha de Silva as 2021 coach, is part of the Queensland Girls’ Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) which has produced Brisbane Heat notables like Kirby Short (Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School), Charli Knott (Brisbane State High School) and Georgia Voll (BSHS).
“The growth and participation levels of female cricket cannot be overstated,’’ said Clayfield College Head of Cricket Mark Harris.
QGSSSA executive officer Sarah Hopkins said girls’ cricket started in 2004 as a social sport but was now one of the association’s fastest growing sports.
“Cricket is one of the Association’s biggest growth sports,’’ Hopkins said.
“From its inception 15 years ago, QGSSSA cricket has now grown 50 per cent and only trails football (soccer) and volleyball in rate of growth.
“The standard of competition between the girls increases each year, with 25 teams nominated to play the 2021 Term 1 season.
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“With the growth of the women’s game nationally and internationally, the girls have some wonderful role models to aspire to.”
Harris agreed dedicated cricketers were inspired by the deeds of the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL which has seen the side win two titles and finish semi-finalists across the last three summers.
A Queensland Cricket spokesman said high profile events such as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup victory in March in front of 86,174 at the MCG and the WBBL Brisbane Heat clinching back-to-back titles during the summer had assisted female participation numbers in Queensland to grow by 37 percent in the 2019-20 cricket season.
There were 12,700 women and girls who chose to play club cricket in 2019-20 in Queensland, the most registered participants Queensland has had.
Under the Austalian Cricket Cenus findings for Queensland, there was also a 19.9 percent increase in school competitions with 18,400 boys and girls enjoying the game.
There was record 180 teams enter the state-wide StreetSmarts Schools T20 Challenge this season, including an Open Girls division contest for the first time.
Harris said the rise in standard among Metropolitan North players was also evidenced by junior results.
In the 13-15 year age group, Metro North has placed third, first and second at the state titles while in the 10-12 year age group, Metro North were back-to-back state champions.
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The under 15 City Fever representative team from the northern district were also Queensland Cricket’s 2019 State Challenge winners.
Two leading juniors were Abby Harris (year 10) and Allegra Pollack (year 9) who were state players.
Indeed last season Pollock made her senior women’s debut with Wynnum-Manly/Redlands Cricket Club.
Harris has also played senior cricket at Valleys where she is learning from Heat and Queensland Fire Players Georgia Prestwidge, Charli Knott and Mikayla Hinkley.
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