Smashing the gender gap

Glen Waverley Year 9 student, Abby Howard, has been selected for the Under 18 Victorian Indoor Cricket team and will play in the Australian Junior Championships in Brisbane in July. Abby began to play outdoor cricket as her chosen sport for Wesley in Year 6. Rob Ferguson, who coached her at the time, saw the potential in her and, knowing that they had a girl’s-only cricket team, suggested she contact the Box Hill Cricket Club. There, one of Abby’s outdoor cricket teammates invited her along to try indoor cricket, and she has been a lover of the game ever since.

Although Abby still enjoys playing outdoor cricket, she says she prefers the indoor game more due to the speed and excitement it offers. “It is very unpredictable and the ball is always live. With indoor cricket everyone has to bat and bowl, giving everyone an equal opportunity, which doesn’t happen in outdoor cricket. Indoor cricket is very dynamic and never boring, because it is a smaller space and I think it's similar to Twenty 20 cricket.”

When Abby was in Year 7, cricket wasn’t an option for girls in summer sport, so she asked Wesley's Head of Sport, Peter Hawkins, whether she could play with the boy’s team - and he said yes. Abby is thankful for this opportunity, as if she wasn’t allowed to play, she may not have pursued the sport and be where she is today.  Abby also feels fortunate to belong to a club like Box Hill, whose senior team is captained by Meg Lanning (captain of the Australian Women’s Cricket team), who Abby is a great admirer of “…she is determined and a hard worker. She has also done really well in a male-dominated sport. “

Although Abby’s love of both indoor and outdoor cricket keeps her busy year-round, she also plays the clarinet and guitar, is a member of the school’s Symphonic Band and involved in school plays, proving that she is an all-round talent.

Good luck in Brisbane Abby!