Cricket Australia’s Youth Selection Panel (YSP) has named 24 players to take part in this season’s rebel WBBL Under 18 Exhibition Match at Blacktown International Sports Park in Sydney on 5 January.
The match will follow the WBBL fixture between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars at the same venue, with a second T20 to be played the following day between the Lanning XII and Perry XII.
Australia Under 19 representatives Maddy Darke and Hannah Darlington will captain the Perry and Lanning XIIs respectively, with the two sides featuring five players who hold WBBL contracts.
Darlington (Sydney Thunder), Sydney Sixers duo Stella Campbell and Hayley Silver-Holmes, who became the youngest player to make a WBBL debut at 15 years of age against the Perth Scorchers on 7 December, Charli Knott and Courtney Sippel (Brisbane Heat) all hold contracts.
Lanning XII (state in brackets)
- Isabelle Arafas (NSW)
- Tiana Atkinson (VIC)
- Stella Campbell (NSW)
- Rachel Church (SA)
- Hannah Darlington (c) (NSW)
- Ashlee King (WA)
- Charli Knott (vc) (QLD)
- Phoebe Litchfield (NSW)
- Olivia Porter (NSW)
- Sophie Roberts (SA)
- Abbey Taylor (NSW)
- Georgia Voll (QLD)
Coach: Leah Poulton
Perry XII (state in brackets)
- Jade Allen (NSW)
- Darcie Brown (SA)
- Zoe Britcliffe (WA)
- Lucy Cripps (VIC)
- Maddy Darke (c) (NSW)
- Bonnie Davies (TAS)
- Tess Flintoff (VIC)
- Emily Hinze (SA)
- Emma Hughes (NSW)
- Ruth Johnston (QLD)
- Hayley Silver-Holmes (vc) (NSW)
- Courtney Sippel (QLD)
Coach: Julia Price
Cricket Australia Female High Performance Coach, Leah Poulton, said:
“After the success of the inaugural WBBL Exhibition Match last summer, it’s pleasing to be able to lock this match in as a regular fixture as part of what has become an extensive player pathway for the best young female cricketers across Australia.
“A number of players from last year’s fixture were part of the victorious Australia Under 19 side in South Africa earlier this year, and to see a number of them rewarded with contracts for WBBL|04 is really exciting.
“Both sides will no doubt be wanting to put on a show, particularly with the Youth Selection Panel keeping a close eye on both T20s ahead of the Australia Under 19 Tour to New Zealand in March.”
Selection varied slightly this year with states nominating players for selection. Player availability is also subject to WBBL selection for players holding contracts.
Entry is free, and both the WBBL Exhibition Match and Thunder v Stars fixture on Saturday can be watched on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App.
Fixture
Saturday 5 January
2pm: Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars, Blacktown International Sports Park*
6pm: WBBL Exhibition Match – Lanning XII v Perry XII, Blacktown International Sports Park*
Sunday 6 January
9:30am: Lanning XII v Perry XII, Blacktown International Sports Park
*live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App.
