WA wicketkeeper-batter Maddy Darke rewarded for breakout domestic season with Australia A selection

Prolific wicketkeeper-batter Maddy Darke says her life-changing move to Western Australia has been vindicated after a breakout summer was rewarded with a spot in Australia A’s Ashes tour squad.

The 22-year-old relocated from her home state of New South Wales two seasons ago and has enjoyed a rapid rise since, making the most of her promotion to the top of the order.

The right-handed opener finished in the top-10 run-scorers in the Women’s National Cricket League, amassing 475 at an average of 52.77 including a maiden century against South Australia at the WACA Ground.

“I’m definitely really lucky to have been given such a good opportunity with WA,” Darke, who only made her WA debut 13 months ago, said.

“I moved across from New South Wales two years ago and was given more opportunity and responsibility up the order in a pretty critical role has probably made for a steeper learning curve that I would’ve expected but I think it’s been really benefical.

“It’s forced me to really step up and try to play that bigger role for the team when I can.

“To be honest, I didn’t really know anybody in WA at all before I moved so it was a bit of a risk from that point of view.

“I’m really glad with the way I’ve been welcomed into the WACA and the opportunities they’ve afforded to me so I think it’s definitely vindicated my decision and I’m so happy to be where I am.”

Darke credited fellow ‘keeper and Australian star Beth Mooney for her improvement with bat and gloves this season after she signed with WA from Queensland.

“She’s been awesome,” Darke said.

“Every time she’s around our group she just lifts the standards. The standard she upholds for everybody, it just forces you to try and lift your own game.

“On a personal note with the wicket-keeping especially, she’s been really helpful towards me and we work together quite well and that’s definitely something that’s led to a few attitude shifts in me.

“I pride myself as a fairly hard trainer either way but I think just to have another person with you to push you, and especially with the one-to-ones for keeping, I really noticed it then and it’s definitely a good driver for me.”

Darke is the lone West Aussie in the Australian A squad, which play a three-day warm-up match before three T20s and three 50-overs clashes against England in the UK starting mid-June, to go with Alana King and Mooney in the main squad.

“I’m just really excited to be on a joint tour like that, just to soak up any amount of experience that I can from both of the squads,” Darke said.

“There’s some pretty high-quality player on the A list as well so I’m just really keen to be a part of it.

“They (the national selectors) were quite happy with my batting progression over the last 12 months and my also happy with how I’ve been keeping so I’ve been really pleased to be able to show them an improvement in terms of building an innings.”

Darke is hoping for more Big Bash League opportunities with Perth Scorchers next summer after failing to play a game last tournament.

“That’s probably been the one thing that’s sort of burned a bit of a fire in me because I didn’t get picked at all this year,” Darke said.

“I’m definitely looking to address all of the elements that I’ve been kind of needing to in that regard, so I really want to push for selection and have a good impact in the T20 space this year.”