Under-16 Women’s Country Championships: Team previews and players to watch
With NSW on top of women’s junior cricket, check out the next generation of stars set to line up in the U16 country championships.
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Fresh from NSW teams dominating the recent under-19 national cricket championships in Perth, the next generation of young women’s cricket stars will be out to stake their claims for further representative selection at the under-16 country championships.
Held in Bathurst from December 18-20, the tournament will see seven zones take part following Southern Districts’ late withdrawal.
Check out how all teams are shaping up below.
WESTERN
Having taken a very young team into last year’s tournament, Western will fancy its chances 12 months on as the region’s talented youngsters gear up for another shot at the title.
With a strong mix of talented batters and bowlers, the squad is headlined by a string of players who represented NSW Country last season.
In addition, with three players having gained experience representing the combined Western and Riverina team in the under-19 country championships at the beginning of the summer, Western will be hopeful that they can lead the team in its home tournament in Bathurst.
Players to watch: The team will look to a trio of representative players to lead in the competition, with all three having represented NSW Country and the combined Western-Riverina team at this year’s under-19s country championships.
As an emerging leg-spinner, Phoebe Johnston brings a unique set of skills to the Western side which, combined with her batting, could be very valuable for the team. She has had some experience playing second grade cricket in Sydney and will look to bring that experience to the country champs.
Holly Reed is another to impress at rep level, with the tall opener bowler to lead the attack and look to contribute with some middle order runs. Meanwhile top-order batter Simran Dhatt is another to have gained experience at Brewer Shield (under-18s) and second grade level with Penrith in the Sydney competition. With a strong technique, she will be key to getting Western’s batting innings off to a strong start.
CENTRAL NORTH
As a team that has performed well in the tournament over the past two years, Central North will fancy its chances as its talented group of youngsters continue to develop.
Indeed, the team finished second in 2022 and then equal second last year’s rain-affected carnival, with the team looking to go one better this season.
With some high-profile representative stars on its list, the side has plenty of firepower with both the bat and ball to cause damage against any opponents on its day.
Players to watch: While it is unclear whether she will compete in the tournament after having recently made her debut for the NSW senior women’s team, the Breakers, 15-year-old Caoimhe Bray is one of the most exciting talents in Australian cricket and will offer X-factor with both the bat and ball if she line sup in the tournament.
Elsewhere, top-order batter Sophie Parsons looms as a key player. Still only 15, she remarkably performed very well for NSW Country team in the under-19s national championships and has also had a taste of Sydney first grade cricket with Northern Districts this season.
CENTRAL COAST
The zone has emerged as a heavyweight in junior female rep competitions in recent years, taking out the under-16s and under-19s double last season before winning the under-19s crown earlier this summer as part of the combined team with Newcastle.
“We invested so much into these girls, in terms of strength and conditioning, preparation, lots of training, lots of team building-based stuff,” said coach Jess Holmes.
“And from that came a sense of belief. In the past the Central Coast hasn’t always done super amazing, so we said that, ‘We believe and we want you girls to believe as well.’”
And while eight players have aged out of last year’s victorious under-16s team, Holmes is still confident her side will be competitive, given that the bulk of it played together in last year’s under-15s Youth Championships.
“It’s a fresh team but these girls have been playing lots of cricket together, so it’s not like it’s a very new situation for them,” she said.
“With the under-16s, we picked the teams early, we’ve done quite a few training sessions and I’ve been keeping tabs on the girls and checking in on how they’re going.”
With talent all over the park, the Central Coast side has the luxury of having a well-balanced squad that doesn’t rely on one of two superstars.
“Everyone has a role to fulfil. Just that ownership of being given a job and going out to do it – but doing it as a group,” said Holmes.
“We like to pride ourselves on being a good fielding unit. We’ve got some good spinners coming in. We’ve got a few really good pace options as well. And in terms of batting I think we’ve got really good depth as well. I think we’ve got a lot of girls who can contribute really well.”
Players to watch: As one of those part of last year’s squad, skipper Zara Hepplewhite will be a key player with both the bat and ball, while Olivia Mitchell is another all-rounder to look out for.
“She’s a tall girl, six foot. She gets some really nice shape on her bowling and has been working really hard on her batting,” said Holmes.
Elsewhere, Lacey Burton will provide some X-factor with the bat, Lilly Hayhurst comes into the team as an exciting opening bowler while young spinner Maisie Miller, who is 12 but will turn 13 during the tournament, is an exciting young prospect.
“She’s been absolutely incredible and will bat high for us as well,” said Holmes.
NORTH COASTAL
There will be a mix of new and returning players for North Coastal as it looks to make a play for the title this year.
Having finished with two wins and two draws in last year’s rain-affected tournament, the side will be looking towards its X-factor players to compete against some of the heavyweight zones.
Players to watch: Skipper Sophie Buckley from Murwillumbah will be looked upon as a key source of runs in the top order as the side looks to get off to a good start in the T20 games, while vice-captain Murphy Hutchings from Wauchope provides all-round star power as someone who can bat, bowl and even take the gloves behind the stumps as wicketkeeper.
Fast bowler Lane Jordan is expected to lead the line and be the spearhead of the attack. Tall, fast and accurate, the Port Macquarie quick is a promising fast bowling prospect who not only played for the combined Northern Stars rep side in the under-19 country championships earlier in the summer but has also been in strong form for the Greater Hunter Coast in second grade cricket in the Sydney competition.
Meanwhile, one to look out for in the future is Dorrigo’s Mia Gilbert. Remarkably still young enough to have represented NSW in the under-12s earlier this month, her selection is a sign of how highly regarded she is, with Gilbert’s left-arm leg-spinners particularly dangerous.
NEWCASTLE
Perennial heavyweights in junior rep cricket, Newcastle will once again take a strong side into this year’s under-16s country championships.
With a core of the squad having already played in the tournament last year, and a select few also having gained selection in the combined Newcastle-Central Coast side that took out the under-19s country championships earlier in the summer, the team won’t be short of experience or firepower.
In a squad full of talent with both the bat and ball, Newcastle also benefits from the fact that a string of its players play either Brewer Shield (under-18s) or senior women’s cricket for Greater Hunter Coast in the NSW Premier Cricket competition, with the experience playing against older or open age cricketers set to be crucial against opponents their own age.
Players to watch: An excellent bowler and talented batter, Felicity Wharton will skipper the side and look to lead form the front. As someone who has been around the rep set-up for years, Wharton’s experience and ability will be a huge asset to the team.
Another all-rounder getting plenty of attention at the moment is Cossette Thomas, who has been in excellent form with the bat for the Greater Hunter Coast in the Brewer Shield. She has blasted 185 runs at 46 so far this season to be the 10th-highest runscorer, and will be looking to bring that form into the tournament.
Meanwhile another play with huge promise is Molly Dare. A strike weapon with the ball who is more than capable with the bat, Dare is remarkably just coming back from Perth after representing NSW Country in the under-19 country championships and has had a taste of second grade this year in the Sydney competition.
RIVERINA
There will be an eye towards the future as Riverina takes a youthful squad into this year’s country championships.
“We’ve actually had a lot of girls go up into the under-19s so we’ve got a very young squad and a lot of new girls coming into the team, which is really good,” said coach Cath Wood.
“It’s about giving everyone a really good go and making sure they all get an opportunity. Mostly it’s just about having fun and getting together with the girls they’ve trained together over the off-season.”
In addition to the best young guns from the Riverina region, the team will also feature a couple of Southern Districts’ most promising players after the zone withdrew from the tournament.
With plenty of players enjoying their first experience of the Country Championships, Wood sees one particular area where she thinks the team will excel.
“Riverina has always been a good bowling side, so we’ve got some fantastic bowlers who will get the job done and hopefully we’ll stand up with the bat as well.”
Players to watch: As a team with a strong attack, young bowler Eve Snowden from Barham will lead the line and be one of Riverina’s key strike weapons with the ball.
“She’s a fantastic young bowler, quite tall and zippy for her age and I think she’ll do really, really well,” Wood.
Elsewhere, Henty’s Khyla Gardiner looms as a crucial player with the bat. Although the she did well with the ball in last year’s carnival, taking eight wickets at 3.4 to make our team of the tournament, Wood expects to make an impact with the willow this time round.
“I’m looking for her to really stand up, push the ball around and take control of the batting when we’re out there.”
GREATER ILLAWARRA
It has been a very strong summer so far for Greater Illawarra in the junior reps, with the zone taking out the Country Colts with an undefeated tournament and is currently leading the Bradman Cup ahead of the final carnival in early January.
“I think it’s the by-product of a very comprehensive regional academy program, which is the foundation program for these players to move forward,” said the female under-16s team coach Stephen Davies.
With the Southern Swans doing well in the Brewer Shield, Davies hopes this can translate into success at the country championships and beyond.
“There are some exciting times but it doesn’t mean we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There’s lots of work to do in the female space but we’re excited by how it has progressed over the last five or six years and where it could end up in the next five or six.”
Players to watch: In the running for selection in the NSW Country under-17s team for the national championships, Nicola Hudson and Amelia Valdez loom as key players for Greater Illawarra. Hudson is a talented off-spinner and top-order batter while Valdez will open the bat and contribute with the ball with some medium-pace bowling.
Elsewhere, Katie Martin has been in strong form this season in the NSW rep academy and the Brewer Shield, while Ava Dragovic and Ella Catley highlight the exciting crop of younger players coming through the ranks.
“I think our strength will be based around our few players who are in the running to go to nationals,” said Davies. “We’ll build around the skills of those players as they’re the more experienced in this age group. We also have a couple of exciting players coming through.”
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