Teenage cricketer Stella Campbell in good company at Sydney Sixers ahead of WBBL/05
Last year Stella Campbell and teammate Hayley Silver-Holmes were in a minority but now three more teenagers have joined the Sydney Sixers for WBBL/05.
Manly
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They are the Generation Next of Australian cricket
Five teenagers who make up a third of the Sydney Sixers squad for WBBL/05.
Rising stars of the sport with their sights set on not just being Generation Next, but one day the Generation Best of Australian cricket.
The next Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy - stars they are now playing beside in the nets and on the field with the Sixers.
TEEN: Emma in for the long haul
No squad has ever before fielded such extensive young talent with three of the five still in school and all five aged 18 and under.
NEW RECRUIT: From selfies with greats to a WBBL gig
And when the Sydney Sixers take to North Sydney Oval for the opening round of the first ever stand-alone WBBL on Friday night against cross-town rivals Thunder, at least one or two are hoping to be in the selection mix.
Manly’s Campbell, 17, who made the squad last year but didn't take the field in a WBBL game, hopes having other young teenagers in the team will lift everyone to a new level.
“It will encourage rivalry. Even though we are all good mates it’s still very competitive,’’ she said.
At 16, Hayley Silver-Holmes is both the youngest and the most experienced of the quintet when it comes to Big Bash cricket.
Even though we are all good mates it’s still very competitive
Last December, when just 15, she became the youngest Sixers debutant in history in their season opener at North Sydney Oval,
“It’s great to have four other people the same age to hang out with,’’ said Silver-Holmes, who plays for the Parramatta District cricket club.
“Usually everyone is a lot older so it’s nice we get to experience this together.’’
Joining Mackellar Girls High school student Campbell and Silver-Holmes in the squad are Universities cricketer Maddy Darke, 18, from Dover Heights, Coogee-based Emma Hughes, 18, who plays for Penrith, and spinner newcomer Alisha Bates, 17, from the Central Coast.
Bates is a promising left arm orthodox spinner, Campbell a fast bowler, fellow fast bowler Hughes is one of the most talented players to emerge from country cricket in recent times and Darke an opening bat and wicketkeeper who played for the Australian A team in England earlier this year.
Hughes, who hails from Dubbo, also believes having players of a similar age will bring out the best in everyone.
“I’ve played against them before so it’s nice we are all in the same team now,’’ said Hughes, who will be sitting her HSC during the WBBL season.
The Sixers finished runners up to heat in WBBL/04 and split their games with Sydney Thunder last season.
MORE SPORT
On the opening weekend of the first stand-alone WBBL, the Sixers will take on Thunder on Friday night in a Sydney Smash before backing up against Heat in a replay of last season’s grand final on Saturday.