Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
A group of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricketers are set to embark on an historic international tour next month.
Cricket Australia today released the 2023 male and female Australian Indigenous teams that will tour Vanuatu next month, the first time Australian squads have toured to the Pacific island nation.
The tour, from May 3-10, will see both squads play four T20 matches each against the respective Vanuatu national teams.
The Women’s squad contains four Queenslanders, including WBBL Heat and Queensland Fire batter Mikayla Hinkley, and three players from the Queensland team that won the National Indigenous Women’s title for the first time last month in Alice Springs.
Queensland Women’s coach Ash Renouf has been named as the women’s team coach for the tour.
Renouf, who has previously represented Queensland at the NICC, has also coached the Sunshine Coast Scorchers which won the Katherine Raymont Shield on the weekend to claim the women’s first grade premiership.
Hinkley will be joined by Wynnum-Manly seam bowler Clodagh Ryall, teenage Cloncurry batter Grace Abdy and off-spinner Christina Coulson who captained Queensland.
Coulson, who plays for Valley in the Katherine Raymont Shield, finished with 14 wickets at 4.21 to be the leading wicket-taker for the tournament.
Abdy, who lives on a property outside of Cloncurry, plays in Townsville and has previously represented the Queensland County Brolgas at the Toyota National Country cricket championships.
Queensland batsman and wicket-keeper Dylan McLachlan has been named as vice-captain of the men’s squad.
McLachlan, a Kamilaroi man who plays for Valley in the Sci-Fleet Motors First Grade premiership in the KFC Queensland Premier Cricket competition, was a leading runs-scorer for Queensland at the titles.
The 24-year-old produced his highest first grade score earlier this summer, hitting 188 for Valley against Toombul.
NSW wicket-keeper Tyran Liddiard had a successful stint with the Sunshine Coast in this year’s KFC T20 Max competition, named in the Team of the Tournament.
National Women’s Indigenous squad
(Name, mob, home state)
Callee Black, Wiradjuri, NSW
Carly Fuller, Bundjalung, VIC
Charlotte Toohey, WA
Christina Coulson, Kaurareg, QLD
Clodagh Ryall, Thursday Island, QLD
Ella Hayward, Jawoyn, VIC
Grace Abdy, Waanyi Ganggalida, QLD
Hannah Darlington (c), Kamilaroi, NSW
Merinda Hale, Yorta Yorta, VIC
Mikayla Hinkley, Kunja, QLD
Piper Hooke, North East Wiradjuri, NSW
Tahlia Meier, Wamba Wamba, VIC
Taleha Urszulak, Dharawal, NSW
Veronica Keen, Badimia, WA
National Men’s Indigenous squad
(Name, mob, home state)
Bailey Toseland, Taungurung, VIC
Brandon Kopper, Palawa, TAS
Brendan Smith, Dhungutti, NSW
Brock Larance, Biripi, NSW
Brynley Richards, Dharawal, NSW
Cody Hoffmeister, Palawa, WA
Charlie Anderson, Kamilaroi, NSW
Damon Egan (c), Gunditjmara, VIC
Dylan McLachlan, Kamilaroi, QLD
Kobe Ross, Kaiwalagal, NSW
Nicolas Taylor, Noongar, WA
Tyrell Sinclair, Ngarrindjeri, Yorta Yorta, SA
Tyran Liddiard, Biripi, NSW
Wade King, Ngyampaa, VIC
