Former national Captain and Australia’s most capped female player Alex Blackwell joined emerging NSW batsman Jason Sangha to celebrate a successful junior cricket season and share their experience with the awe-struck youngsters.
Both Blackwell and Sangha emphasised the importance of having fun, the power of positive thinking and the need to challenge yourself to improve your own game.
Alex revealed her biggest challenge didn’t come on the cricket field.
“I made the call to give up studying medicine to further my cricket career,” she said. “Now the opportunities and the pathways are all in place for this generation.”
Jason got a great reception and said: “My junior coach was my dad and he knows my game better than anyone else even now – so listen to your dads.” There was much head-nodding from the back of the room.
A highlight of the night was the award of the Best Junior Player trophy to 14-year-old Mahsen ‘Mo’ Narvel and the award of the Mollie ‘the Demon’ Flaherty Award for best female player to 13-year-old Liv Morrison. The Award is named after the feared Marrickville and Australian fast bowler of the 1930s and 40s.
MCC president Antony Sachs said junior cricket was alive and well in the Inner West.
“This season we fielded 31 teams, had 500 players, ran two junior Master Blaster centres, won three premierships and won the Club Championship. If we’d have had a little less rain, it would have been the perfect season.”
Junior cricket stars meet their heroes
☐ NSW and RPCC player Jason Sangha, Mahsen ‘Mo’ Narvel, Liv Morrison, former Australian captain Alex Blackwell and MCC President Antony Sachs.
NEARLY 500 young cricketers were given a masterclass by two local heroes – an international veteran and a rising star – at Marrickville Cricket Club’s (MCC) presentation night at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL.