Junior success behind NSW WNCL dominance

NSW's wealth of junior female cricket talent is the secret behind this Sunday's potential record equalling 11th straight WNCL title.

When the NSW Breakers won the first of their 10 consecutive Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) titles, Ellyse Perry had just won her first under-17s Betty Butcher Shield.

And Lauren Cheatle, a current NSW fast-bowler, was only a seven-year-old.

"It's weird to think, I haven't thought about it that way," says NSW captain Alex Blackwell, who payed in the 2005/06 success.

"But that's what's made it really enjoyable as well is have youngsters come through and be influenced by a strong culture."

When Perry's under-17s side won their junior national tournament earlier that summer, it was their second straight in a streak that Cheatle helped make an unbeaten 11 in January.

Ironically, it is that same figure that Blackwell, Perry and the Breakers will look to reach when they face South Australia in Sunday's WNCL final at Hurstville Oval.

"I think that's part of the culture of Cricket NSW in a lot of ways," Perry says.

"We have ambitions and standards that we set for ourselves and a lot of that is ingrained in NSW Cricket for everyone coming up through the ranks.

"Typically a lot of the NSW teams do quite well in that and there is almost an expectation that you want to try and do well."

Never has that culture been more required than this season. The Breakers lost Australian bowlers Erin Osbourne and Sarah Coyte to rival states in 2015, while Australia-A equivalent representatives Angela Reakes and Kara Sutherland also packed their bags and headed elsewhere.

In their place came the likes of Cheatle, and Lauren Smith, two teenagers who recently tasted success in the revamped under-18 Betty Butcher Shield and have taken a combined 15 wickets in this year's WNCL.

"I definitely think it's always quite a positive to have girls like that come into the side," says Perry.

"Both Laurens have an incredible amount of quiet confidence in themselves and I don't think they are ever overawed by situations and I guess a lot of that is fostered in the way they play their junior cricket."


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Source: AAP



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