Cricket NSW today announced the 14 players selected in the Lend Lease Breakers squad charged with defending the Women’s National Cricket League (50 over) and Women’s T20 (WT20) titles in 2013/14.
Last summer, the Lend Lease Breakers became the first team to win both competitions in the same season, winning their eighth consecutive WNCL title and their first WT20 crown.
This squad will also be the first to benefit from changes to the contracting system for female International and State players, announced by Cricket Australia earlier this week.
Six members of the 2013/14 Lend Lease Breakers squad, Alex Blackwell, Rachael Haynes, Sarah Coyte, Alyssa Healy, Erin Osborne and Ellyse Perry have been awarded Cricket Australia contracts. The remaining members of the squad will benefit from State contracts, while all players will be eligible for match payments for the games they play.
The full list of players selected in the 2013/14 Lend Lease Breakers squad is (clubs/regional zone in brackets):
Cricket Australia Contract
Alex Blackwell (Universities/Riverina)
Rachael Haynes (Universities)
Sarah Coyte (Campbelltown-Camden)
Alyssa Healy (Sydney)
Erin Osborne (St George-Sutherland/Central North)
Ellyse Perry (Sydney)
Cricket NSW Contract
Sarah Aley (Bankstown Sports)
Nicola Carey (St George-Sutherland)
Claire Koski (Campbelltown-Camden)
Katie Mack (Northern District)
Sharon Millanta (Bankstown Sports)
Leah Poulton (St George-Sutherland/Newcastle)
Angela Reakes (Sydney/North Coast)
Kara Sutherland (Universities/North Coast)
Lend Lease Breakers captain, Alex Blackwell, said the 2013/14 season would be one of the most exciting for the squad.
“A lot of work went into winning both competitions last summer and I can guarantee that every member of this squad will be striving even harder to win the double again in 2013/14,” said Blackwell.
“This squad has an enormous amount of potential. We have eight players with International experience and last season we witnessed what players like Angela Reakes, Nicola Carey and Kara Sutherland are capable of. I am really looking forward to seeing what this squad can achieve.”
Selectors have also named 11 players in the Cricket NSW Academy Development squad which comprises the next level of up-and-coming talented players who have excelled either in Sydney Grade or NSW U/18 programs.
The players selected in the Cricket NSW Academy Development squad are (clubs/regions in brackets):
Lily Bardsley (Northern District/Central Coast)
Sohryn Carter (St George-Sutherland)
Kira Churchland (Sydney/Western)
Stefanie Daffara (Campbelltown-Camden/South Coast)
Ashley James (Northern District/Central Coast)
Emily Leys (Gordon/Central North)
Celeste Raack (Campbelltown-Camden)
Georgia Redmayne (Universities/North Coast)
Naomi Stalenberg (Campbelltown-Camden)
Jenny Taffs (Northern District/North Coast)
Keeghan Tucker (Western)
