Maddison Baird

MADDI Baird often wonders how different her life would be if she hadn’t accepted an offer to fill in for her brother Nick’s under-11 cricket side in 2009-10.

With New City looking for players one Friday night, Baird was given a call by club official Andrew Kilby to make up the numbers.

She’s been making numbers, impressive ones, on the cricket field ever since.

Baird, 17, has gone on to represent the North East Knights and Victoria and is hopeful of one day playing for the Melbourne Renegades.

“My life would be completely different if I didn’t play that night,” Baird said.

“I don’t know what I would be doing to be honest.

“I remember batting and bowling but I don’t think I did too much.

“After that I played every week and that’s how I got right into it.”

The Xavier High School student’s impressive progress has earned her the ninth nomination for the Norske Skog Young Achiever of the Year award.

Although the young all-rounder is presently on the comeback trail after injuring her calf at the national under-18 championships in December, she has still had a season to remember.

She opened the bowling in every match and took seven wickets including 3-12 off three overs against Tasmania.

Baird is presently playing for New City’s under-16 side and hopes to return to the Phoenix second grade line up in coming weeks.

The youngster has been encouraged by the introduction of Cricket Albury-Wodonga’s

Thunder-Stars Girls Under-14 Cricket League this season.

“It’s a lot different to when I started,” she said.

“It’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds. “I don’t think there were any other girls playing around Albury back when I started and now there is a competition which is great for the local girls.”

Baird is an avid watcher of the Women’s Big Bash League, particularly when the Renegades are in action.

Several of her Victorian under-18 teammates – Georgia Wareham, Amy Yates and

Nicole Fulton – play for the Renegades..

“They were top-age players at the nationals and got contracts with the Renegades which is really good,” she said.

Junior coach John McDonald said Baird was ticking all the boxes in her development.

“She has an excellent attitude and excellent approach to her preparation,” McDonald said. “Her training is good and she tries to train well so she can play well.

“She’s a very handy swing bowler and played a very important innings in the under-16s last week. “Maddi’s doing really well.”