Young Golden Bay cricketer Sienna Styles is rapidly making her way up the ranks in WA thanks to the help of several development pathways now in place to help females reach new heights in the sport.
The 12-year-old bowler has just returned from a trip to the eastern states that saw her representing Western Australia in the School Sport Australia National Under-12 Cricket Championships, where she helped the state to a pair of wins from five games (including WA’s first ever victory at the tournament).
She shone especially bright in a clash with Tasmania late in the carnival, collecting a four-wicket haul and coughing up just two runs in a stunning three-over spell.
Sienna’s national triumphs come on the back of success at the local, district and state level.
The youngster first took up cricket after participating in the Milo T20 Blast event, an entry level program based on showing young girls the basics of the sport.
She became an inaugural player in the Peel Junior Cricket Association’s (PJCA) under 13s girls league with the Secret Harbour Dockers in 2016, and currently plays district cricket for Rockingham-Mandurah’s under 15s girls squad, which she started doing at the age of just 11-years-old.
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Her mother Tania said the talent pathways put in place by the West Australia Cricket Association (WACA) and PJCA had played a huge part in helping her daughter go from new beginner to state representative in a space of less than two years.
“For Sienna to be able to travel interstate just to play cricket: it’s huge,” she said.
“She’s only been playing for around two years and has already achieved so much. A lot of it is the hard work she’s put in but having those junior programs in place for young girls has made a huge difference.
“I think if more young girls realised the opportunities that are out there they might think ‘hey, I can play for the state too’, and that will get them involved in cricket.”
WACA cricket manager for the Peel region Brodie Green said female cricket was ‘moving in the right direction’ locally.
“We have a large focus on getting girls involved in the sport at a junior level, and we’re starting to see that go in the right direction with these programs like the under 13s league now,” he said.
“We’re working with every club in the region to spread the word, and hopefully soon we’ll see an under 15s league created, which can then feed into Rockingham-Mandurah’s under 18s.
“There’s so many young girls out there that can achieve what Sienna has – we just need to show them how they can get involved.”
The next local Milo T20 Blast, aimed at girls aged 7-12, will take place at Lark Hill Sporting Complex on Wednesday, February 14.
For more information or to register online search for Peel Junior Cricket Association on playcricket.com.au
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
