An international sporting trip to exotic Dubai is the just reward for top class performances by emerging 15-year-old Mackay cricketer Kiana Dunn.
The versatile St Patrick’s College student will represent the Australian Under 16 Girls Indoor Cricket team at this year’s World Series Under 18s tournament in the United Arab Emirates at the end of September.
Kiana, a talented opening batter and sharp pace bowler, earned selection after helping Queensland Under 18s clinch back-to-back National Indoor Cricket titles these past two seasons.
The promising all-rounder was the Maroons youngest player at age 14 when they defeated NSW at the 2022 National Championships in Melbourne and was later named in the Queensland All Stars team.
Dunn again showed her wares in Queensland’s triumphant 2023 side that also lifted the trophy with an impressive Grand Final victory over Western Australia in Ipswich.
A prolific run-scorer, wicket-taker and superb fielder, young Kiana is the perfect package for indoor cricket.
She has also represented Queensland at Under 22s level and is delighted to be part of the Australian Girls squad for the World Series championship.
“I’m excited to be visiting the city of Dubai that has hosted numerous International Cricket Council (ICC) events over the years,” beamed Kiana, who took up cricket at the age of eleven.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to represent my country against the best indoor cricket girls players from across the world,” she said.
Kiana has competed at Mackay Indoor Sports for the past five years and during that time has demonstrated her all round capabilities in park cricket with the Norths Cricket Club in the Mackay Cricket Association’s boys competition.
She has been a regular fixture in the Mackay-Whitsunday junior representative cricket teams and helped St Patrick’s College win the prestigious Queensland StreetSmarts Twenty20 Secondary Schools Challenge.
Kiana has impressed State outdoor cricket selectors who named her as part of the 20 player Queensland Under 16 junior provisional squad.
Her father Shane Dunn, a prominent all-rounder with Norths Cricket Club, has proved a major influence.
“My dad has always encouraged me to have fun at sport and gives valuable tips for my batting and bowling,” revealed Kiana.
When she’s not smashing runs or taking wickets on the cricket field, the capable Year 9 student can be found racking up goals on the netball court.
By Chris Karas
Mackay’s Kiana Dunn will represent the Australian Girls Indoor Cricket team at this year’s World Series Under 18s tournament in Dubai during September
