NSW Premier Cricket: Manly call up women to play in men’s division

Three talented cricketers made history by becoming the first women to play for their club in the Sydney grade competition. Cricket bosses now expect other clubs to follow suit.

Known as the gentleman’s game, cricket is a sport steeped in a rich tradition and history.

However, three women have broken new ground in a 144-year first for Manly-Warringah Cricket Club, the second oldest active club in the state, by competing in a men’s division of the Sydney grade cricket competition, now known as NSW Premier Cricket.

Shivani Mehta, Mikaela Turik and Saskia Horley. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Omicron has ripped through the Manly ranks, leaving several players across the grades unavailable for the first weekend of cricket in 2022.

So the northern beaches club made the bold decision to select their top three female players – Saskia Horley, Mikaela Turik and Shivani Mehta.

The women each have impressive cricketing resumes in the women’s game and more than held their own in a fifth grade defeat to St George at the weekend.

Horley was the top scorer of the three with 22, which was also the team’s second highest score. Turik and Mehta made 7 and 1 respectively.

Horley and Turik were both economical with the ball, conceding 8 and 15 runs respectively with each bowling four overs.

Horley, who has played for Sydney Thunder in the WBBL, said the men’s call-up came out of the blue.

“I’m really, really honoured and really grateful for the opportunity. I didn’t think it would be something on the career path. I was surprised but definitely a blessing in disguise.”

A 20-year-old Ellyse Perry (far right) was the first women to play in the NSW Premier Cricket competition in 2010.

The 21-year-old said she was hopeful of more chances to take on the men.

Only a handful of women have competed in the men’s divisions previously, including Ellyse Perry who represented Sydney at an under-21 level and more recently WBBL player Katie Mack for UNSW Cricket Club.

The Manly cricketers are hopeful of more opportunities in the men’s divisions. Picture: Tim Hunter.

NSW Premier Cricket manager Roy Formica said any female cricketer who wished to compete in the men’s competitions had Cricket NSW’s support.

“We support any opportunity for people to play and love cricket more and if that means women playing in the NSW Premier Cricket competition then that is great, whether that is due to the impacts of Covid or because those players want to get another day on the park or improve their game,” he said.

Formica paid credit to the positive attitudes of all NSW Premier Cricket clubs and their volunteers to forge ahead with the competition despite the Covid impacts.