Gold Coast Dolphins and Brisbane Heat all-rounder Sammy-Jo Johnson’s big Q&A
Sammy-Jo Johnson and her Brisbane Heat teammates will today do battle with the Sydney Sixers for the WBBL crown, and on the back of her excellent form Johnson is closer than ever to a dream national call-up. But cricket is not all that keeps her ticking ...
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IT has been a massive summer for Gold Coast Dolphins all-rounder Sammy-Jo Johnson. Today, she and her Brisbane Heat teammates will do battle with the Sydney Sixers for the WBBL crown, and on the back of her excellent form Johnson is closer than ever to a dream national call-up. But cricket is not all that keeps her ticking ...
Q: Sammy-Jo, what’s the feeling like heading into the WBBL decider against the Sydney Sixers?
A: Pretty relaxed at the moment. Closer to the game there will probably be a few nerves but she’ll be right. We’re ready to go.
Q: It’s been a terrific WBBL season on the field. Are you seeing that translate into a lift in fan engagement?
A: Definitely. You’re getting more and more people showing up to the games, like we went up to our regional zones again so Mackay and Cairns and we had thousands of people showing up each day for those games which was absolutely awesome. It just creates a good atmosphere. Kids and families and lots of young people, they recognise who you are now. We would walk down the street in Cairns and they would be like: “Hey girls, good luck”. Like you would be in casual clothes and they would still recognise you.
It’s a little bit surreal. I think I’m just a normal everyday person who plays a bit of cricket on the side but it is pretty cool to be recognised.
Q: Moving you up the order to bat at No.3 has proved a hit. How much are you enjoying that role?
A: Yeah, it’s just nice to contribute. Speaking with Pete (McGiffin), my coach, after some pre-season games, I said that if the opportunity ever came to bat higher up the order I would love it and I was lucky enough to get it from the first game.
I might not have started the best but I have worked my way into the tournament with a few runs as we have got further into it, so it has been nice to be able to contribute. I enjoy my batting so I’m loving it.
Q: And right up the top, Beth Mooney and Grace Harris have really combined well?
A: Yeah for sure. They both complement each other with that left-hand/right-hand combination at the top and obviously they both have pretty high strike rates.
So if we can get off to a flyer with those two and then keep that momentum going with myself and a couple of the others coming in down the order, that’s the plan.
Q: And the ball is clearly coming out pretty well for you, given you’ve taken 19 wickets?
A: Bowling has been my primary skill for many years now so it’s nice just to have that consistency with the ball. I feel like I am in good rhythm and it is coming out nicely so it is good to set that tone early with the ball.
Q: Do you feel better placed than ever to push for national honours?
A: Yeah for sure. It is nice to be performing and you have to be performing for selectors to be keeping an eye out ... if I get that call-up, I want to grab it with both hands. I think I have got the skill set to compete at that level so fingers crossed.
Q: Coming up against Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry, you’ve got your work cut out today?
A: They’re world class. Especially with Ellyse Perry scoring so many runs and taking wickets, she is going to be hard to stop but I think if our group can stick to our plans and stay cool, calm and collected, it’s T20 cricket, anything can happen.
Q: Do you feel like you enter the match as underdogs or not really?
A: For sure. I think a lot of people wrote us off early. We might not have a star-studded line-up in terms of a lot of international cricketers but we have some very good Australian cricketers like Beth Mooney, Delissa Kimmince and Jess Jonassen.
Q: What will be the key to giving the Sixers a run for their money and hopefully taking the win?
A: Simple cricket. We have just got to be smart, take one ball at a time and just stay in the fight. We want to fight right until the end and I think that’s something we have done better this year, is we have learnt how to fight.
Q: Lining up alongside you today will be your Dolphins teammate Delissa Kimmince. I’d imagine you’d be pretty good mates?
A: Yeah, we’re close mates. It’s nice to be able to put on another shirt and still be in the same team as her.
I look up to her and have learnt a lot from her, especially over the last few years especially with the way she handles herself on the field. She’s a competitor and she’s a fighter. I think she will play a key role for us.
Q: On the topic of Dolphins, can we expect to see you back in club colours after today?
A: Obviously we have got the (WBBL) final and then we will be back in for some one-day stuff. We have got another round of WNCL to complete next weekend, so from that onwards then we will be back into the Dolphins uniform.
Q: Is it a pretty different challenge going from a high-quality roster like the Heat’s to the Dolphins’ ultra-young squad?
A: It’s nice. I remember back when I was in their situation, to have my state or Big Bash players come back and play cricket with me, I’d just try to relish every second with them and just pick their brains for any knowledge or information.
So I just try to help out the young ones as much as I can. Between me and ‘D’, that’s what our role is – not just to play but also to be leaders and be role models to those younger girls coming through.
And credit to our young team, we have done so well this year to make the T20 final (tomorrow) ... I think it’s a credit to our club and our coach Garry (Lovett), he does a lot of after-hours work with those girls and that’s why they are doing so well.
Q: Given you have never actually lived on the Coast, how did you end up playing for the Dolphins?
A: I was invited as a Queensland Fire player to go with an under-18s SEQ side just to be a role model and help out and we were playing against a NSW development team at Murwillumbah. Garry Lovett was actually the coach of that under-18s side. I don’t know, just the way Garry held himself as a coach and a lot of the girls were from the Gold Coast.
I spoke to Andy Richards, our Fire coach at the time, and I said I want to change clubs (from Wests) and head down to the Coast; I think I can have an impact there and have a leadership role and an opportunity with bat and ball so to get the chance to change to the Coast, I said yes straightaway.
Q: Going even further back, how did you get into cricket as a kid? Was it a family passion?
A: My mum and dad didn’t play too much sport. Dad played a little bit of representative rugby union when he was living in Casino, Mum played netball at school. We just used to watch the cricket on the TV in the summer and Brett Lee was my idol, this tall, skinny, blond-haired fella running in and bowling at 150km/h.
I thought, gee that looks cool and I wish I could bowl that fast so that was my inspiration. I started playing junior boys cricket at 11 and then built my way up and then playing second and first grade by the time I was 15 in Lismore at Marist Brothers Cricket Club.
Q: You keep pretty busy away from the cricket field too. Remind us what else you do?
A: I run my garden and landscaping business, that’s pretty busy at the moment. Brian (Atta-Singh, partner) and I, we run that together and we have got a few casual staff that work for us so that keeps us busy during the day and then I have got a casual job at Supercheap so that’s just to get my car fix. I’m studying as well to be a qualified gardener.
Q: You are a confessed car enthusiast. What would be your dream wheels?
A: Anything that’s a Holden Commodore. I love my Commodores. My dream would be to one day own every single one of the 15 particular Commodore models.
I’ve had a few over the years. I’ve probably owned over 150 cars since I was 18. Between me and Brian, we’ve bought and sold a few different cars over the years. My favourite car is a 1984 VK Commodore. That would be the dream, to own one of those. A V8 one.
Q: With the growth of women’s cricket, do you foresee one day having to make a choice between it and work?
A: My goal is to play cricket for Australia and that would be a full-time job but I don’t see myself ever stepping away from that (business) – I would just put things in place so that my business would still be able to grow and run because at the end of the day cricket isn’t the be all and end all in life. You have still got to think about life after cricket.
Age: 26
Partner: Brian Atta-Singh
Born: Lismore. Lives: Brisbane
Queensland debut: 2011
Gold Coast Dolphins debut: 2014 (previously played in the Katherine Raymont Shield for Wests)
2018-19 WBBL SEASON STATISTICS
Games: 15
BATTING
Runs: 256
Average: 18.28
Strike rate: 140.65
High score: 51
Fours: 23
Sixes: 14
BOWLING
Overs: 54.2
Maidens: 1
Wickets: 19
Average: 17.73
Economy: 6.20
Best bowling: 3-12
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