Budding young cricket star Maddy Spence has gained selection in the Primary School Sports Association (NSW PSSA) State Girls Cricket team.
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The team will compete in the School Sport Australia National Girls Cricket Carnival at Barooga on the Murray River from January 5 to 12, 2018.
Maddy (11), the youngest child of Justin and Kerry Spence, gained selection in the team after displaying very good, consistent form at the NSW PSSA Girls State Carnival played at Maitland from October 30 to November 2.
The Middleton Public School student was representing the Western PSSA team at the carnival.
The Western team gained a credible eigth place out of 13 teams.
During the carnival Maddy scored a total of 96 runs at a batting average of 32 and took six wickets at a bowling average of 6.50.
She also took two catches as well as two direct hit run outs.
This was the second consecutive year Maddy has represented Western PSSA in Girls Cricket, having previously played in the NSW PSSA State Carnival held in the Hawkesbury region of Sydney in 2016 when she was only in Year 4 and just 9 years old.
To gain selection in the NSW PSSA State team while still in Year 5 is quite an effort and a big achievement.
Prior to the NSW PSSA State Carnival at Maitland, Maddy was selected to attend a talented player camp staged at St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown during the recent September/October school holidays.
This three day camp was conducted by NSW PSSA and Cricket NSW.
Maddy, who has been playing cricket in the Parkes and District Junior Cricket Association for the past four years, has gained a well justified reputation as a talented young cricketer who displays a sound batting technique and an ability to bowl accurate medium pacers.
She is a safe reliable fielder and a most enthusiastic team member in local Parkes teams.
She has come under the expert guidance of top local coaches in Shane Jones and Phil Dunford while playing in the Parkes U/12 representative team in Lachlan Cricket Council Inter Town competition games.
Already this season the Parkes U/12 team have scored good wins over teams from Dubbo and Condobolin in the two games they have played.
Shane and Phil are delighted with Maddy’s success and are pleased to note her willingness to listen and her keen attitude at all training sessions.
The Duncan Macdonald Foundation trustees saw fit to offer financial assistance earlier this year to help in Maddy’s quest to become a talented player.
During the off season Maddy received more expert coaching when, along with Miki Dunn, she attended the Western Zone Cricket NSW Female Academy.
This included a series of coaching sessions under the guidance of Coaches such as Carolyn Sheehan (Mudgee), Andy Litchfield (Orange) and Marie Cornish OAM of Wellington.
Long-time Honorary Secretary of Parkes Junior Cricket Association and Manager/Coach of the Western Boys Cricket Team (from 1982 to 2009) also a NSW PSSA Cricket Manager (from 1995 to 1997) Greg Morrissey suggests that Maddy Spence is the first female cricketer from Parkes to represent NSW PSSA and that Peter Thornton (1983) and Pat Rosser (1994) are the only other Parkes Junior Cricketers to represent in a NSW PSSA State team at a School Sports Association National Carnival.
All in Parkes Junior and Senior Cricket Associations wish Maddy every success when she represents NSW.
Maddy will attend a training camp with the state team in Campbelltown for four days from December 27.
During this training camp both the Girls and Boys teams will be presented with their state caps at a BBL Match at the SCG on December 28.
Fundraising tins to help offset some of the costs involved, are located at the Star Hotel, Cooke Park Café and BP Service Station on the Orange Road.
Maddy’s mother Kerry is a tireless worker for Parkes Junior Cricket Association being the Registrar, Records Officer and IT Co-ordinator.
Kerry is also an active cricket scorer for Maddy’s teams and for the Star Hotel Budgies ‘B’ Grade team.
Maddy’s next venture on the representative scene will be as a member of the Lachlan Cricket Council U/12 team in important games against Macquarie Valley (in Parkes and Dubbo) and Mitchell (at Cowra and Bathurst) during November and early December.