Swing bowling sensation Matilda Wiggins could not have asked for a better mentor when she rocked up to her initial Cricket Excellence class last year at Mercy College Mackay.
There to greet the inquisitive and fresh-faced 12-year-old was legendary pace ace and established school teacher Adam Knezevic, who would encourage Matilda on the finer points of fast bowling.
The capable Year 8 student has caught the eye of cricket officials with her ability to snare bulk wickets with the new ball and score valuable runs in pressure moments.
Matilda will represent the Mackay-Whitsunday Girls representative team next week at the Under 15 North Queensland Junior Cricket Championships in Townsville where she will open the bowling and bolster the middle order with her stylish batting.
The team will play three fixtures in different formats - Twenty20, 50 over and 40 overs – during the Carnival with Matilda keen to push her claims for selection in the Central Infernos squad to participate in the Queensland Under 15 Female State Challenge in December at Redlands Cricket Club.
Matilda will also represent Capricornia at the Queensland Secondary Schools Cricket Championships in Brisbane next month alongside Mercy colleagues Kiana Dunn, Holly Wardrop, Madeleine Searle and Eden Thompson with Charles Lott, Cameron Tomerini, Jack Muller, Connor Muller and Etienne Pretorius featured in the Boys 13-15 years squad.
Matilda was introduced to cricket at the age of eight when she participated in the Little Milo Cricket program at Souths Cricket Club.
By the age of ten she had linked with the Brothers Club in the Mackay Cricket Association Junior Mixed competition where she continues to hold her own with the boys.
Wiggins will pad up for the Brothers’ Under 14 Mixed team this summer after a fruitful 2021-22 season where she grabbed a bagful of wickets with her sharp quick bowling and compiled more than 200 runs with a top score of 45.
When she is not mixing it with the boys on the cricket pitch, Matilda will line up for the Souths Mackay Hurricanes in the Heat Girls Twenty20 Cricket League.
Matilda lists her bowling coach Adam Knezevic and Australian superstar womens cricketer Ellyse Perry as the two people that have influenced her career to date.
“Mr Knezevic has honed my bowling technique and is quick to offer encouragement or tips on how to improve my cricket,” she explained.
“I appreciate the support he gives me along with other Mercy College cricket coaches Chris Dunn, Angela Beardmore and Patrick Hoare.”
Matilda regards the great Ellyse Perry as a perfect sporting role model and hopes to follow in her giant footsteps.
‘Like all aspiring female cricketers, I’d like to wear the baggy green cap or don Australia’s colours one day.”
Contributed with thanks to Chris Karas.
Caption: Swing bowling sensation Matilda Wiggins
