Photo Credit: Cricket PNG
Newly retired Australian cricketer, Kath Hempenstall has been appointed as the new Head Coach of the women’s national cricket team, the Kumul Petroleum PNG Lewas.
Kath, who has over a decade of experience, played for the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)
before her retirement. She was awarded by the Australian Cricketers Association the Legacy Award in Western Australia 2019-2020.
The 33-year-old is an experienced coach having coached and assistant coached at clubs in Victoria and Perth, Australia and is looking forward to working more closely with the Cricket PNG coaching staff and the Lewas.
Currently based in Australia, she is working with the team on ground on progressive work for the women’s team, saying their home training matches are crucial and a chance for them to assess themselves.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the world over, it is quite the same for Kath and the Lewas. This has caused cancellations and postponements of home matches for the Lewas squad, and has also kept Kath in Australia and will mean she will likely first meet the team in person in Zimbabwe. However, she has already met the team via Zoom and it was, as she says, a great opportunity to put faces to names.
As preparations for final selections for will be done in Port Moresby with only four weeks to go, Kath continues to work alongside the PNG team. After the final team for the Kumul Petroleum PNG Lewas is announced she will be meeting the team in Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifiers.
Kath says participating in the qualifiers will be great for the team because it has been quite a while since playing other international teams.
‘The Kumul Petroleum PNG Lewas have great potential and the world cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe will be a good time to test the team.’
Amid COVID-19 restrictions and new measures in the country, the Kumul Petroleum PNG Lewas continue to train and prepare in compliance. And new head coach Kath is looking forward to meeting the team in Zimbabwe, with their sights set on qualifying for the World Cup next year in New Zealand.
