Trenaman primed for GG’s XI test

A look back at Rachel Trenaman’s summer just passed spells hectic – by anyone’s standards.

She made her debut for the Sydney Thunder, riding the wave of lime green success all the way to the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) semi-finals.

Trenaman then played her part in sealing a 20th consecutive Women’s National Cricket League title for the NSW Breakers.

Still to come for the teenager; tomorrow’s Governor General’s XI against New Zealand, closely followed by the Australia Under 19 tour of New Zealand.

Factor in that Trenaman, 17, has just commenced her final year of school and hectic seems like an understatement.

Currently in Sydney preparing to ply her trade for the Governor General’s XI against New Zealand in tomorrow, the teenager’s approach to her unique schedule is refreshingly simple.

“You can only do your best really. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself but at the same time I know how important an education is,” Trenaman told cricket.com.au.

“My attendance is going to be really low this term, but I’ve got the mindset that I just have to keep chipping away.”

A product of Wagga Wagga, the allrounder with a ripping leg break is no stranger to balancing a busy schedule.

Since making her debut with the NSW Breakers aged 15, Trenaman’s ability with bat and ball have seen her rise steadily through the ranks.

Early last year, Trenaman – aged 16 at the time -  was named captain of Australia’s Under 19 side to tour South Africa. A few months later, she was selected in a Cricket Australia XI to face New Zealand in a T20 warm up match. Her WBBL debut in January this year saw her pick up two wickets against the highly rated Sydney Sixers.

All this considered, it’s no surprise that the Year 12 student is the envy of all her classmates.

“I get a bit of stick from everyone from time to time, but they think it’s a pretty cool thing that I’m doing. Maybe just a bit envious with the amount of time I spend away from school,” Trenaman said.

It’s been a breakout season for Trenaman, who’s relished every opportunity to develop her craft against the best players in the world. Tomorrow’s Governor General XI match will be no different.

“We all see it as a fantastic opportunity to perform against a world class team and showcase our skills on such a high level,” Trenaman said.

“Bates and Devine are at the top of the order can whack a ball just about anywhere with a lot of power. Tahuhu’s got a lot of pace and they’ve got a lot of dangerous spinners in their side as well so we won’t be taking any of them lightly.”

With Australia’s Ashes tour of England locked in for July 2019, the Governor General’s XI match is an obvious opportunity for players to push their case for international selection.

Trenaman, however, is focused solely on her own development, both in cricket and from an educational perspective.

“I guess for me personally, I’m just trying to improve my game and take opportunities when they come,” she said.

“There’s a really strong Aussie team at the moment, for anyone to crack into that, good on them – I’m sure there are quite a few girls on the cusp.

“For me, it depends on the timing. I know there’s a couple of tours but I’m in discussion with Leah Poulton (Cricket Australia’s high performance coach) in terms of whether I want to put my hand up to be available for selection and I guess we can make those decisions a little bit closer to the time.”

With plenty of big decisions ahead and a fair amount of uncertainty around what her schedule might look like this year, there’s a certain date Trenaman has pencilled in to her diary.

“My exams finish about half way through the (WBBL) season, so I’ll definitely be free for the back end,” she said.

CommBank ODIs v NZ 

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Amy Satterthwaite (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

February 22: Australia won by five runs

February 24: Australia won by 95 runs

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne