Talent delivers on big stage

Young Golden Bay cricketer Sienna Styles can now add representing WA to her resume after returning from country New South Wales with some impressive figures.

The 12-year-old was picked for the School Sport Australia Cricket Championships in Barooga earlier this month.

While she might be the quiet type, the Golden Bay Primary School product let her bowling do the talking.

In her game against Tasmania, she had figures of 4-2 in three overs, with her deliveries proving too good for some of the country’s best young batters.

The WA side won two of their five matches, finishing fifth overall, which was a big improvement on last year’s tournament, from which they came home without a win.

The pathway for girls is really improving and everyone wants to see more girls in cricket, so to have things like the Women’s Big Bash League gaining in popularity gives them something to shoot for.

Sienna first picked up a ball at a Milo T20 Blast event and she has not looked back since.

Her brother Connor is also a cricket fanatic and provides some healthy competition and bowling practice in the nets. Sienna plays for Secret Harbour Dockers Cricket Club in the under-13s and Rockingham Mandurah Districts Cricket Club in the under-15s.

Sienna said she relished the opportunity to represent her State and loved the team spirit of the competition.

“I really liked being with the team over there and winning two out of five was really good,” she said.

With superstars like Ellyse Perry paving the way for young women in cricket, players such as Sienna have the blueprint for a bright future in the sport.

Sienna’s mother Tania said she was confident more girls would be drawn to the sport as its profile increased.

“The competition over there was run really well,” she said.

“The atmosphere around the local cricket clubs here is really good and it’s all about them improving and having fun with it.

“The pathway for girls is really improving and everyone wants to see more girls in cricket, so to have things like the Women’s Big Bash League gaining in popularity gives them something to shoot for.”