Gardner's perfect preparation at NICC

Next week, Ashleigh Gardner is a strong chance to make her international debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

This week, she is representing New South Wales in a competition that is close to her heart: the National Indigenous Cricket Championships.

When the 19-year-old allrounder received her maiden call-up to the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars squad for the T20 and ODI series against New Zealand, her first question to national selector Shawn Flegler was, “am I still allowed to go to Imparja?”

"It is such a special thing to come up here to not only represent my state but also my culture at such a special event as Imparja Cup and I just love coming up here every year," Gardner said from Alice Springs, where she has made a strong start to the tournament for NSW, scoring 23 off 10 and taking 2-9 in their opening game against Victoria.

Image Id: 93F0971EB94F42C2B2E37D49B58FDB47 Image Caption: Ashleigh Gardner is at the NICC // Getty

She followed that with a blazing 83 off just 43 balls in Friday’s clash with Queensland.

This year marks Gardner’s seventh time participating in the Indigenous competition in Alice Springs, having first taken part in the Imparja Cup when she was just 13 - the youngest ever female to represent New South Wales.

"Being a 13 year old, coming up to Alice Springs for the first time was pretty special.

"It was pretty awesome coming up here with all the girls for the first year. I was so young so I didn’t know what to expect.

"This is my seventh year coming up here so I guess I know what to expect when coming up to Alice Springs.

"I know it’s going to be hot and what the temperatures are going to be like.

"The competition has gotten so much better over the past couple of years and hopefully it’s just improving from now as well."

Gardner’s international selection came after an incredible 12 months, which started with a victory for New South Wales at the 2016 NICC.

Based on those performances at the NICC, Gardner was chosen to captain the first Indigenous women’s cricket tour to India in May, toured Sri Lanka with the Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars and was selected to play for the Governor General’s XI that defeated South Africa in November.

The second season of the Rebel WBBL then proved to be a breakthrough one for Gardner, who starred at No.3 for the Sydney Sixers to help propel them to the WBBL|02 title, named the Rebel WBBL Young Gun thanks to her 414 runs and 10 wickets in the competition.

After such a stellar year, Gardner’s call up to the national squad was hardly surprising, but she was still unable to wipe a smile off her face when she found out.

"It’s a dream come true to be selected in the Australian squad at only age 19 and I guess I’ve still got to debut just yet but that is definitely something hopefully I’ll be able to do at the first game at the MCG.

"Being the second ever Indigenous female to represent my country would be a really special thing. “Obviously being the second one after Faith Thomas would also be pretty awesome.

"She was definitely seen as a role model for the Indigenous community and to be the second would also be a dream come true.

"It is such a rare thing for Indigenous people to represent their country in the sport of cricket and to be the second would just be such an awesome thing."

While Gardner may become just the second Indigenous woman to play for Australia in cricket, she believes there may be more following in her footsteps before too long.

"I think Natalie Plane for one.

"She played for the Renegades in the WBBL so it was pretty special to see someone else from Indigenous background playing in that.

"Hayley Hoffmeister was in the Sydney Sixers squad as well and hopefully you do see a couple more girls representing their country and hopefully playing in the WBBL and for their states."

For Alice Springs based Rita Tomlins, representing the Northern Territory at the NICC this year, having a role model such as Gardner at the tournament makes it even more special.

"It is a bit of privilege to be representing NT and my hometown. It’s awesome that [Ashleigh] has made the time to come and still play Imparja, having been selected to rep Australia, I’m looking forward to watching her play,” Tomlins said.

"If I can get the time off work I’ll make a cheeky road trip down and watch her play (in the T20 International in Adelaide)."

Image Id: 14CC3024B5BE4DE4A80E28C4AB28BF8E Image Caption: Ashleigh Gardner with Rita Tomlins // Getty

As for Gardner, she sees her time at the NICC as an opportunity to show young players that anything is possible.

"I’m just trying to show to younger kids if you want to achieve anything that you can, whether you are Indigenous or not Indigenous.

"I guess if you put your mind to it you can achieve whatever you want to do really."

The Southern Stars will play three T20s against New Zealand in Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide. All three games are double headers with the men's KFC T20 INTLS against Sri Lanka and will be broadcast live and free on Nine's Wide World of Sports.

Australia v New Zealand T20s

17 February: MCG, Melbourne, 2.05pm AEDT

19 February: Kardinia Park, Geelong, 2.35pm AEDT

22 February: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 2.05pm AEDT

Australia v New Zealand ODIs

26 February: Eden Park No.2, Auckland, 9am AEDT

2 March: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, 9am AEDT 

5 March: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, 9am AEDT

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