WA have announced a 13-player squad for their upcoming Cricket Australia Under 19 National Female Cricket Championships to be held 14-20 December in Brisbane.
U19 Stars ready to shine on National Stage
The squad will be led by Melville’s Rebecca McGrath, who has been selected in the squad for a second consecutive year, after finishing as the team’s leading run-scorer in last year’s tournament as a 17-year-old.
The talented batter compiled 199 runs at 33.17 in eight innings, including a match-winning 60 against NSW Country, as her side chased down 203 with five wickets to spare.
McGrath’s form saw her finish the summer on the cusp of a Women’s National Cricket League debut, with the young star getting the opportunity to travel with the WA squad for their two matches against Victoria in February.
Wanneroo’s Tegan Williamson and Midland-Guildford’s Ines McKeon have also been included in the playing squad, after the pair both performed strongly during last year’s Under 16’s Female Championships.
McKeon ended the tournament with 342 runs at an impressive average of 42.75 including four half-centuries and a top score of 85.
She then went on to play all eight matches in the Under 19s Championships as a 15-year-old, showing her ability to compete with cricketers well above her age group.
Meanwhile, Williamson showed she is a player with a promising future, tallying 176 runs at 35.20 and eight wickets in eight Championship matches, with her spin-bowling and top-order batting set to play an important role for an improving WA side in 2023-24.
Chloe Ainsworth will not take part in the Championships, with the young quick being managed in line with her WBBL and WNCL selection this summer.
WA will be coached by Female Development Coach Adrian Harris, with support from assistant coaches Toby Morrell and Shenae Reichelt.
WA will compete in four T20 and two 50-over fixtures over the week-long tournament, beginning with a clash against hosts Queensland at Shaw Park on Thursday December 14.Every match of the Under 19s National Female Championships will be streamed live on the Cricket Australia YouTube channel, while scorecards can be accessed through Play Cricket.
Click here to view all fixtures for the U19s Female National Championships
Cricket Australia YouTube Channel can be accessed here
Reflecting on the squad, WA Cricket Talent Development Manager – Female Programs Madonna Blyth said:
“We believe we have selected a well-rounded squad with plenty of talent and we cannot wait to see the girls showcase their skills on the national stage.
“It is an exciting opportunity for Rebecca to captain the side, she is a player of enormous talent and possesses outstanding leadership qualities, so she deserves the chance to lead this group for the first time.
“She had an outstanding tournament with the bat in last year’s Championships to finish as our leading run-scorer, and we are looking forward to her leading from the front once again.
“One to watch out for is Tegan Williamson, she is a supremely talented allrounder who finished in the Team of the Tournament in the U16s National Championships last season, we are very excited to see her take her game to another level this year.
“We have put in a lot of time and resources into our Female Pathway Programs over the past 4-5 years, and we starting to see the dividends of that hard work now, which is pleasing to see.”
WA’s 13-player squad:
Rebecca McGrath – Captain - Melville Cricket Club
Chloe Bartholomew – Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club
Tene Crafford- Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club
Ella Dodgson – South Perth Cricket Club
Shayna Jesani - Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club
Natasha Kelsey – Melville Cricket Club
Shay Manolini – Midland-Guildford Cricket Club
Ines McKeon - Midland-Guildford Cricket Club
Olivia McSweeney – Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club
Morgan Pires - Midland-Guildford Cricket Club
Matilda Richings - South Perth Cricket Club
Mali Vanderstoep - South Perth Cricket Club
Tegan Williamson - Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club