NARRABRI’S Elsie Ford is a young cricketing star on the rise.
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In January, the Narrabri West student will don the blue of NSW at the National PSSA Cricket Championships in Brisbane.
“I was very very excited, and very shocked as well,” Ford said of her selection, adding that it was “amazing” to hear her name called out.
It followed a strong showing for North West at the state carnival earlier this month.
Ford was co-captain of the side and bowled and batted solidly all carnival.
“I was pretty happy with how I went,” she said.
When The Leader caught up with Ford, she was trialling for selection in the zone CHS side to play at the state carnival in February.
Despite having only just started Year 7 then, North West manager Wendy Blacker was impressed with what she saw from the allrounder, including Ford in the side.
“I mostly liked bowling but I’m liking batting a lot more now,” Ford said.
She bowls medium pace inswing right armers, and opened the bowling for North West.
She also fills that role for her school games, and bats pretty high up the order – usually first or in the top four at least.
Before the championships she’ll head down to Sydney for a week of training, where they’ll also get presented with their baggy blues.
“We go to the SCG and get handed our caps there,” Ford said.
It will be one of many exciting aspects to the whole
experience.
“I’ve never really played cricket that high up before,” she said. “But I know it’s going to be challenging.”
Ford is one of several state reps to have come out of Narrabri West, which is where her interest in the sport first developed.
“I was watching Alyssa (Ford) play cricket out the back for their (school) training,” she said.
“Mum told me I should go and join in.”
So she did.
That was three years ago.
Now weekends are pretty much filled with cricket.
“I play Saturday cricket. I also play inter town (for the Narrabri 12s),” Ford said.