The future of women's cricket is looking bright, especially if two up-and-coming players have anything to say about it.
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Seven female New South Wales Country Academy squads have been announced, which has highlighted the growth of female cricket in both the NSW and the Country Pathways System.
Included in those squads are two Bowral Cricket Club players Ava Maiden and Caitlin Appleyard.
Both Appleyard and Maiden will be apart of the Greater Illawarra side and both begin preparations for the academy next month.
Bowral juniors cricket coach Jodi Cooper said they were apart of the growing future of women's cricket.
"The Bowral Cricket Club are extremely proud of their two players, Ava Maiden and Caitlin Appleyard on their selection in the New South Wales academy squads," Cooper said.
"It's great to see the girls coming through, competing against the boys in club cricket and to be recognised in the girls academy.
"It's also great that women's cricket in Australia continues to grow.
"We're extremely proud of them and we're looking forward to seeing what they can do in representative honours and moving forward in their cricket careers."
The Country Academy squads each represent different regions and include players from ages under 13 to 18.
The Bowral Cricket Club are extremely proud of their two players, Ava Maiden and Caitlin Appleyard...
- Jodi Cooper
The squads will begin training in the first week of the July school holidays, with a two-day session at the new women's cricket facility at Penshurst Park in Sydney's South.
Like the Metro Academy squads for the same age groups, Cricket NSW Female Talent Manager Steve Jenkin said numbers for the Country squads had grown significantly in the last 12 months.
"Each of the Country Academy squads increased by about 10 to 15 players and that was after about 400 nominations throughout the rural and regional areas," said Jenkin.
"With the under-13 State Challenge being in place now, the academies take on a greater importance and I think that will work well.
"The academies are vital to developing a pool of players for the future selection of under-15 and 18 squads at national championship level.
"Without that depth, performance at higher levels suffers."
