The four squads to compete at the inaugural Under 13 Female State Challenge during January have been selected.
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Bowral Cricket Club player, Sophie Taufel and Bowral Blues Cricket Clubs, Annalee Watson will represent the Highlands in the Country Thunder squad.
Four teams will compete at the Under 13 Female State Challenge. Each of the Sydney Big Bash League clubs, the Thunder and Sixers will be represented by two teams.
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NSW Metro and ACT/NSW Country will each have a team under the Thunder and Sixers banner.
Highland cricketer, Sophie Taufel was happy when news broke she had made the squad.
“I was quite excited and didn’t know there were selectors watching,” she said.
“It just goes to show that when you play your best, people can be watching you and see what you’re doing.
“I’m also really looking forward to playing in Canberra.”
With such an excellent opportunity, Sophie can’t wait to immerse herself into the game and absorb everything available to her.
“I want to learn new skills and taking advice from coaches and selectors,"” Sophie said.
“I also can’t wait to meet new people and creating new friendships will be really nice.”
Throughout the competition Sophie has a couple of personal goals she has set for herself.
“I want to develop some new skills,” Sophie said.
“I’d also like to hopefully get noticed by some selectors to improve my chances of going further in the sport.”
Sophie has excellent ambitions for such a young age. She already has a mind map of where she’d like to see her career go and wants to break down barriers on the way there.
“I’d love to play for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL),” she said.
“I’m going to continue to play club cricket but I’m also going to play for my school team (Chevalier College) as they haven’t had a girl on their team since Lauren Cheatle.”
Sophie may have big plans but she knows she’s had a great support system around her here in the Highlands.
“I’d like to thank my club coach, Jodi Cooper who has engaged so many girls into playing team sports and cricket and also just for the opportunity to play for Bowral Public School.”
Leading ACT player, Grace Lyons will captain a promising Country Thunder squad made up from all four regions of the Thunder Territory; ACT/Southern Districts, Greater Illawarra, Western and Riverina.
NSW Metro Under 15 representative Olivia Maxwell, daughter of former NSW Blues allrounder Neil Maxwell will captain the Sixers team for her region.
Newcastle cricketer Kate McTaggart will captain the Country Sixers team.
These are the Under 13 Female State Challenge Teams
Metro Thunder
- Ella-Jane Briscoe ( c ) Sutherland
- Makayla Alexander Mortdale Heights
- Annika Karlsson Mortdale Heights
- Chloe Kells Penrith
- Bianca Lozell Sutherland
- Maeve Martin Bankstown
- Kate Pelle Penrith
- Brinly Peters Bankstown
- Abbie Purvis Bankstown
- Stephanie O’Sullivan Mortdale Heights
- Mridula Thirupathy Bankstown
- Makenzie Wheeler Penrith
- Lucy Wilson Parramatta
- Coach: Ron Woods
Metro Sixers
- Olivia Maxwell ( c ) North Shore
- Samira Dimeglio Sydney
- Olivia Callaghan North Shore
- Elizabeth Cambridge Gordon
- Sara Chun Gordon
- Lily Dorahy North Shore
- Laura Metry Summer Hill
- Chloe Osborne Manly
- Kate Salmon Forrest
- Caitlin Schofield Sutherland
- Bethany Tate Gordon
- Hayley Zauch Leichhardt
- Anita Zoran North Shore
- Coach: Kate Owen
Country Thunder
- Grace Lyons ( c ) ACT/Southern Districts
- Keisha Baldwin Greater Illawarra
- Callee Black Western
- Alice Caldow Riverina
- Rachael Carroll ACT/Southern Districts
- Charlie Lamont Riverina
- Kaitlan Logan Riverina
- Teleitha O'Byrne Western
- Perri Nash Riverina
- Maddison Spence Western
- Sophie Taufel Greater Illawarra
- Annalee Watson Greater Illawarra
- Lily Wilstrop Greater Illawarra
- Coach: Rebecca Maher and Carolyn Sheehan
Country Sixers
- Kate McTaggart ( c ) Newcastle
- Mia Cook Newcastle
- Sophie Cook Newcastle
- Chelsea Hackenburg North Coastal
- Emily Hosking North Coastal
- Emily Humphries Central Coast
- Laura Parsons North Coastal
- Lucy Pearce Newcastle
- Megan Pierce North Coastal
- Annika Vallette North Coastal
- Ava Ryan North Coastal
- Jessica Sinclair Newcastle
- Jessica Dowling Newcastle
- Replacement: Charli O’Bryne
- Coach: Kate Jackson
The Under 13 carnival will be played in conjunction with the Under 13 and 14 Boys’ State Challenge in Dubbo and Wellington from 21-22 January.
The competition has been made possible by the financial support of the NSW ICC World T20 2020 Cricket Legacy Fund.
