With cricket season just around the corner, WA Cricket officially launched Play Cricket last week at the WACA Ground, kicking off the 2025–26 grassroots season in style.
The event featured over 30 Play Cricket participants alongside WA stars including Jhye Richardson, Jordan Quiggin, Brody Couch, Ines McKeon, Charis Bekker, and Chloe Ainsworth.
The launch provided aspiring young cricketers a valuable opportunity to meet their role models and celebrate the start of another summer of cricket.
Junior cricket participation surges across WA
WA Cricket confirmed that 3,702 participants have already signed up for Cricket Blast, representing an 11% increase over last season.
Statewide junior cricket registrations have reached 9,348, an 8% year-on-year increase. Of these, 962 participants are female — marking a 12% rise in girls’ participation.
WA stars encourage the next generation
Chloe Ainsworth spoke about the importance of grassroots pathways:
“Seeing all the kids out here has been great. I had a similar pathway coming through junior cricket and Woolworths T20 Blast. I then came up through club cricket with Canning Vale and Premier Cricket in Melville.”
Jhye Richardson emphasized the joy of playing cricket:
“Everyone plays cricket because they have fun doing it. I don’t think anyone strives to be a professional cricketer without having a love of the game. Today reminds us why we started — for the love and enjoyment of cricket.”
Community call to action: Register now
WA Cricket’s Community Cricket General Manager Jo Davies encouraged young players to register with friends:
“We had a fantastic year last year with more kids than ever before playing the game. We want them all to come back — and bring their friends. Summer is just around the corner, and now is the perfect time to get involved.”
Play Cricket programs, including the Woolworths Cricket Blast and junior cricket pathways, run for around an hour and allow kids to bat, bowl, field, and make new friends in a safe and fun environment.
Registrations are now open at play.cricket.com.au/play.
WA Cricket continues to invest in growing the game statewide, with rising participation numbers a sign of growing momentum as the 2025–26 season kicks off.
