Multiple representative selections across a number of age groups and state-wide competitions (national in at least one case) has proud parents and local clubs rightly beaming.

Beau Bennett of Merimbula Public School and Bobby McAlpin of Pambula Public School will represent the South Coast next week at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (NSWPSSA) carnival held in Murray River border town Barooga.

Meanwhile, Jack Allen has been picked to lead the South Coast Open team in the equivalent high school competition to contest a state tournament at Armidale in November.

Not to be outdone, younger sister Jade Allen was this week named in the NSW Metropolitan squad for the Female Under 15s National Championships to be held in Canberra in February.

It’s a return to the squad for Jade who was NSW Metro’s second leading wicket-taker at the under 15 national titles last season. She returned tournament figures of 12 scalps at 14.08.

Jessie Mudaliar from Eden was picked as part of the ACT/NSW Country side for the same competition, with Amy Wels from Merimbula one of three reserves for the 13-member squad. 

This will be Jessie’s first time at a national carnival and a really great opportunity and experience for her said Far South Coast Cricket’s Dave Allen (who is also the proud father of Jade and Jack).

“The girls were just at Newcastle for the NSW Country Championships, a two-day carnival of Twenty20 games between the eight state zones,” Allen said on Thursday.

“Our under 15s team [ACT Southern Districts] won the tournament.”

In fact they were undefeated throughout and took the title with a seven-wicket win over Central Northern.

Meanwhile, NSW/ACT had seven players selected in the Cricket Australia XI for the Under 18 national titles, including Jade. Again, this is the second year Jade’s made the national squad. That tournament is slated for Bendigo in December.

“With the Big Bash starting and Cricket Australia getting more of their people into schools, and more female development officers – our girls see that and that there a good role models for them,” Allen said.

“There’s a lot for the up and coming players to look up to as well [not just those already playing rep cricket].

“It’s happening with league like with Kezie Apps, with the AFL and so on – all sports are realising that 50 per cent of the population is women and if they want to keep growing their membership they need to appeal to females as well.”