Cricketer to take part in state program

A RISING young cricketer is readying to put her bowling skills to the test as part of Cricket Victoria’s under 16s female emerging players program.

Inverleigh’s Chloe Sewell is one of 39 players selected to join the 2023/24 program, with 20 athletes in the country squad.

The program kicked off on Saturday and Sewell said it was an exciting first day on the field.

“It was really good to be able to see the facilities and to get to know the other girls,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to having access to all these coaches and the facilities and the physios that get provided to us to help develop my skills.”

Sewell’s sporting journey started with the MILO in2CRICKET program at five years old before she joined the Inverleigh Cricket Club’s under 13s side

She’s since been playing mainly with the Geelong Cricket Club, and fills in often with Inverleigh, and with St Joseph’s Cricket Club.

She was the first female player to be selected for GCC’s premier women’s thirds team as well as for the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association’s representative side in their under 12s squad during the 2022/23 season.

The under 16s female emerging players program is being run on Saturdays and Wednesdays at Melbourne’s CitiPower Centre Junction Oval and the Melbourne Cricket Ground leading into the next season.

Primarily a B Grade bowler with GCC, Sewell said she hopes to improve her skills in a comprehensive manner throughout the program.

“Just in general, I want to get my batting and bowling and even fielding more consistent,” she said.

“I want to build my skills in a really well-rounded way.”

Led by Victorian country head coach Rhiann O’Donnell, the country team’s players will be decided in November prior to the national championships in Tasmania early next year.