Western Australia’s all-conquering Men’s side will aim to win back-to-back titles at the National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC), when the tournament gets underway on Wednesday 2 April.
WA talent ready to shine at National Indigenous Championships
Some of the most talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricketers from across Australia will participate in the tournament, with WA once again sending both a Men’s and Women’s team to compete across the five-day Championships.
The WA Men’s squad will be led by Rockingham-Mandurah batter Jay Collard. Collard is a stalwart of Indigenous and Country Cricket in Western Australia and played a key role in WA’s drought-breaking title win last year.
Collard is joined in the 13-player squad by Willetton allrounder Brock Larance, who played a starring role during last year’s Championships. A talented and powerful opening batter who also offers a handy spin-bowling option, Larance blasted 361 runs and 14 wickets during last year’s edition, to be named Player of the Tournament.
There will be plenty of familiarity in WA’s Men’s side, with eight of the travelling squad also playing in WA’s title-winning side last year.
Meanwhile, WA middle-order batter Mikayla Hinkley headlines the 13-player Women’s squad, who will be looking to claim their maiden NICC title.
Hinkley has opted to play in the Championships for the first time in nearly a decade, where she represented New South Wales as a 16-year-old.
The 26-year-old is coming off a productive first summer for Western Australia in the Women’s National Cricket League after crossing over from Queensland in the off-season, scoring 382 runs at 34.72 including two fifties.
Her experience at state level will be a valuable addition to a youthful WA side, who will once again be led by talented Midland-Guildford teenager Veronica Keen.
The tournament will be played from 2-7 April in Mackay, with the tournament being played outside the Northern Territory for the first time in it’s nine-year history.
WA Men’s 13-player Squad
Jay Collard © (Whadjuk Ballardong/ Rockingham-Mandurah Cricket Club)
Tahj Basford (Widi/ Gosnells District Cricket Club)
Hayden Collins (Nyikina/Midland-Guildford Cricket Club)
Rhai-arn Cox (Whadjuk/Dianella Cricket Club)
Elijah Dare (Wiradjuri/University Cricket Club)
Nathan Ellett (Menang/Mount Lawley District Cricket Club)
Cody Hoffmeister (Palawa/Bayswater Morley District Cricket Club)
Blade Holliway (Wadandi/Ferndale-Lynwood Cricket Club)
Brock Larance (Biripi/Willetton District Cricket Club)
Amien Murdoch (Wilman Noongar/Gosnells Cricket Club)
Hugh Sando (Yamatji/ Fremantle Mosman Park Cricket Club)
Yagan Walley (Whadjuk/Pioneers Cricket Club)
Declan Walsh (Wongaibon/High Wycombe Cricket Club)
WA Women’s 13-player Squad
Veronica Keen © (Badimia/Midland- Guildford Cricket Club)
Montanna Campbell (Noongar Ballardong/ Fremantle Mosman Park Cricket Club)
Regina Deleeuw (Gnaala Karla Booja/ Wanneroo District Cricket Club)
Candice Franklin (Yamatji/Curtin Victoria Park Cricket Club)
Freodora Garlett (Whadjuk Ballardong/ Ballajura-Landsdale Cricket Club)
Emma Lee Hammond (Whadjuk Noongar/ Melville Cricket Club)
Mikayla Hinkley (Kunja/Western Australia)
Jahlira Knight (Koona/South Perth Cricket Club)
Emily Ramirez (Badimaya Yamatji/ Falcons Cricket Club)
Elsie Simpson (Kurani/Melville Cricket Club)
Seren Simpson (Kurani/Melville Cricket Club)
Charlotte Toohey (Noongar/ Melville Cricket Club)
Amelia Whiteman (Luritja Warumungu/ Ballajura-Landsdale Cricket Club)
Fixtures for the 2024-25 National Indigenous Cricket Championships can be found here