ABBY Collihole wants to follow the path created by Sunraysia cricket exports Makinley Blows, Rhiann O’Donnell and Teagan Parker and carve out a career in the game.
The 15-year-old from Gol Gol Cricket Club has been named in Victoria Country cricket squad for the Under 16 Female National Championships in Canberra, from January 5-12.
The young gun has covered thousands of kilometres in recent months in the name of the game, playing locally, in Melbourne, New South Wales and even Brisbane to further her development.
“I’m pretty stoked,” Collihole said.
“Honestly I wasn’t expecting to get in but I’ve tried to give myself as many opportunities as possible and then try and work towards that top selection.
“I was part of the Under 16 emerging players program based in Melbourne, so we’d go down every few weeks to train and have some trial matches and obviously that’s what’s helped with selection.
“I’ve played with a couple of the girls in the squad, they’ve all got really good talent.
“I’d say I’m in more for my batting … that’s my strongest suit at the moment and probably what I’m showcasing that a bit more.”
Blows and Parker, as former Gol Gol juniors themselves, are idols for Collihole.
Parker has become a star and coach with Melbourne in Victorian Premier Cricket, while Blows is a regular in the Victorian side and has a century to her name.
“When they come home they are always so good with their time and willing to help,” Collihole said.
The Coomealla High School student has joined Blows at premier side Essendon-Maribyrnong Park where she hopes to establish herself across the season, as well as playing locally.
“I went to some of the academy stuff and I was asked to join their group as a full-time player, which was awesome,” she said.
Collihole also expanded her horizons recently with a stint in the Brisbane Premier League, essentially an IPL-style competition for amateur cricketers.
The youngster was drafted by the Coastal Marlins for the Under 23 competition and while she didn’t see a huge amount of game time, she loved the experience.
“Just being around that group of people and that atmosphere was great,” she said.
“There’s a lot of spinners up there especially compared to home so that was a good chance to develop some more skills.
“I want to take as many opportunities like these as possible.”
