Magic Meg Knows How To Hit

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Mackay's rising cricket all-rounder Meg McCartney, 17, captained the Queensland Schoolgirls representative team in 2022. Photos supplied

Batting: Meg McCartney shows her style at the batting crease

She started in Mackay & District Cricket Association’s Under 10 Boys competition and by the age of 13 was donning the pads and sharing the new ball for the Mackay/Whitsunday junior representative teams.

She can mix it with the finest male cricketers in the Mackay region, isn’t phased when facing extreme pace bowling and has even upstaged her father at the batting crease.

Meet talented 17-year-old all-rounder Meg McCartney – the Queensland Schoolgirls representative cricket captain with the poise, technique and potential to leave her mark on the women’s sporting scene.

Keen cricket judges have tipped a bright future for the teen sensation, who has turned in standout performances this season in both male and female competitions – showing her wares in the junior and senior ranks.

Meg, who has just completed her Higher School Certificate examinations at St Patrick’s College Mackay, recently linked with the Valleys Cricket Club in the Brisbane Women’s Premier League Cricket first grade competition where she will play alongside Australia’s World Cup-winning off spinner Jess Jonassen.

A product of the Mackay Brothers Cricket Club, young Meg picked up her first bat and cricket ball at the age of nine while participating in the Master Blaster events at Harrup Park for aspiring junior cricketers.

She started in Mackay & District Cricket Association’s Under 10 Boys competition and by the age of 13 was donning the pads and sharing the new ball for the Mackay/Whitsunday junior representative teams.

A prolific wicket taker with her sharp pace bowling and top order batter, Meg has progressed through to the senior men’s ranks and is now a permanent fixture in the Brothers second grade X1 where she plays alongside her experienced father Dean, a seasoned campaigner and club stalwart who is the current Girls Cricket Co-ordinator.

Both have enjoyed batting together in key moments with quicksilver Meg peeling off some big scores and keeping her dad on his toes while navigating quick singles or twos with her sharp running between the wickets.

Boasting a top score of 88 not out, the gun all-rounder led the Capricornia Schoolgirl representative teams from the age of 13 and last year captained the St Patrick’s/Mercy College senior women’s team to a Queensland Secondary Schools Twenty20 State Challenge title with superb batting and bowling displays.

Meg named Brothers Mackay Cricket Junior Development Co-ordinator Kim Evetts as being a huge influence on her career along with Club President Bradley Beardmore and school mentors Adam Knezevic and Chris Dunn.

Her leadership skills came to the fore this season when she captained the Queensland Schoolgirls cricket team in the annual Challenge series with NSW on the Sunshine Coast – leading the way with her tenacious batting and bulk wickets.

Meg will line up for North Queensland against South Queensland in a selection trial for the Queensland Country squad to compete at the National Country Cricket Championships in Canberra and was appointed vice captain of Brisbane Premier Cricket League franchise Western Power for the recent Twenty20 series where she gained valuable experience.

An opportunity to learn from international all-rounder Jess Jonassen inspired Meg to join the Valleys club for this summer’s Brisbane Premier Cricket League Women’s first grade competition.

It is another giant step towards realising her childhood dream of playing for the Queensland Fire one day in the Women’s National Cricket League limited overs series.

By Chris Karas

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