NSW Metro wins One-Day title at the Under 18 National Championships in Victoria. The off-spinning all-rounder, Horley has played outstandingly in Women’s Premier Cricket last season. She scored 528 runs and bagged 26 wickets in 13 matches for Gordon, across the One-Day and T20 formats.
All-rounder Lisa Griffith will lead a 13 member NSW Breakers squad. The team will travel to Adelaide for the start of Women’s National Cricket League title.
Griffith will take over the duty of Captain as Alyssa Healy won’t be available. Four of the five potential debutants are teenagers. All-rounder Hayley Silver-Holmes, 16, batter Phoebe Litchfield, also 16, 17-year-old pace bowler Stella Campbell and off-spinner Saskia Horley, 19, these girls are likely to play in the opening match against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval, Sunday.
Sydney Sixers leg-spinner Jodie Hicks is also in the debutants list. Breakers will depart for Adelaide to play their opening two matches against South Australia and then Victoria.
Silver-Holmes, Litchfield, and Campbell were among five players to get their first Breakers contracts in May alongside wicketkeeper-batter Maddy Darke, 18, and Burns. While Darke suffered from a foot fracture and remains unavailable for the selection.
NSW has recorded maximum debut of 4 newbies in a single match back in 2011. After making her first appearance for the Breakers last season, Griffith is set to count as 29th captain for New South Wales. However the squad misses out on four Australian players, it also consists of four past Australian representatives, seam bowlers Rene Farrell, Sarah Aley, Lauren Cheatle and allrounder Naomi Stalenberg.
On Sunday, the Breakers played their final practice match before the start of the WNCL. Despite their loss to QLD, players like Rene Farrell and Lauren Cheatle took control with their bowling, picking up wickets consistently.
New Breakers head coach Dominic Thornely said the squad is an amazing opportunity to reveal the next generation of Australian cricketers. “It is exciting to see the absolute talent that is going to Adelaide, with all the young girls in this group, it represents another evolution for NSW Breakers cricket,” said Thornely.
He said that the choice of Griffith as a stand-in captain was part of a long-term vision. “We definitely understand that there will most likely be a reduction in international players playing WNCL cricket going forward.
Both Aley and Farrell have been huge contributors to NSW cricket. We want them to flourish towards the end of their careers and concentrate on what they have done so wonderfully well in the past.
Lisa has been amazing in the last few years in her leadership in and around our group. Her maturity is incredible and she’s a very inspirational person. Tactically very aware of the game. Very modern in her preparation.”
Silver-Holmes was the youngest one to debut for Sixers last season. In recent performances- Silver-Holmes, Campbell, and Litchfield have been in good books of selectors for a long time with their Impressive performance at various stages.
Horley also impressed in Women’s Premier Cricket last season.NSW Breakers WNCL squad: Lisa Griffith ( c ), Sarah Aley, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Rene Farrell, Jodie Hicks, Saskia Horley, Phoebe Litchfield, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson
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