Seventeen-year-old Queenstown cricketer Abby Fookes is busy this month playing for age-group Otago sides.
The opening batter, who’s also been wicketkeeping over the past two years, is this week playing in the under-19 girls’ interprovincials in Lincoln, near Christchurch.
Another local player, Sorcha Wilkinson, is a non-travelling reserve.
Then, from this coming Monday, Abby will be playing in the U17 nationals in Palmerston North.
Abby, who also played for the Otago U19s last summer, was a little surprised to be called up again as she didn’t make the trial as it clashed with exam commitments.
A Year 13 student at Wakatipu High this year, she plays for the school’s girls’ side, but, without being disparaging, says the level of cricket’s not that hot.
Other times she’s playing in boys’ sides.
She says she likes the tactical side of cricket — ‘‘you’ve got to really think a lot of it through’’.
Abby, who’s aiming to make the Otago Sparks at some stage, notes she’s very grateful to her parents Beth and John driving her to Dunedin for rep training.
Queenstown coach Emma Campbell, who’s also the U19s’ head coach, rates Abby highly for her natural athleticism, ball skills and keenness for the game.
If she can iron out some technical issues, ‘‘I think definitely she could progress to Otago’’.
