Launceston's Emma Manix-Geeves has been rewarded for a stellar 2021-22 season, earning herself a contract with the Hobart Hurricanes for the upcoming eighth instalment of the Women's Big Bash League.
The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter last played for the Hurricanes in WBBL|05.
It's been a whirlwind two years for the palawa woman after being de-listed by the Tasmanian Tigers following the 2019/20 season.
"After losing my contract I had to go back and work hard", she said.
"I surrounded myself with good people and worked hard on my mindset as well as my skills."
"I reflected on the previous couple of years and realised that I had to take my game to the next level."
Stellar seasons with the Greater Northern Raiders have lead to Manix-Geeves returning to the Hurricanes.
Manix-Geeves' 104 not out in last year's Women's National Cricket League final lead the Tigers to a maiden domestic title and capped a stellar run of personal form, arguably making her the state's most in-form female cricketer.
She was also dominant in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League, amassing 1279 runs at an average of 63.95 in the past two seasons to go along with 31 dismissals behind the stumps for her hometown Greater Northern Raiders.
This exceptional consistency earned her the state's highest honour, the Kim Fazackerley medal, in back-to-back seasons as well as being named Cricket Tasmania's female young player of the year for 2021-22.
Manix-Geeves believes switching premier league clubs to the Greater Northern Raiders made a significant impact on her form both at the crease and behind the stumps.
"It gave me all the opportunities that I wanted, both to 'keep and open the batting", she said.
"I took all the pressure off myself and went out there to play cricket, to play the game that I love".
Re-connecting with important people in her life also contributed to her on-field performance.
"I went home and surrounded myself with my
Manix-Geeves last played for the Hurricanes in WBBL|05
family who were very supporting and were always backing me in".
Manix-Geeves also worked closely with men's Greater Northern Raiders head coach and ex-Tasmanian Tigers head coach Tim Coyle.
"He was great, I worked with him two or three times a week even before pre-season started", she said.
"I was hitting the ball the best I ever have".
Although at the beginning of her professional career, Manix-Geeves has plenty of experience performing at the national and international level.
While playing for Victoria, she was awarded player of the tournament at the National Indigenous Cricket Championships in 2018 and 2019 after amassing a combined 496 runs at an average of 70.85.
She was also selected in the inaugural Australian women's Indigenous side which toured the United Kingdom in 2018, alongside WBBL mainstays Ash Gardiner and Hannah Darlington.
Manix-Geeves said her Indigenous cricket experiences have held her in good stead for future success in the professional game.
Manix-Geeves represented Victoria at the 2018 and 2019 National Indigenous Cricket Championships.
"Being able to tour with players like Ash Gardiner and Hannah Darlington and even a few of the men's players that were at the top level was great", she said.
"It was great to learn off them and see how they went about it".
She was also grateful for the opportunity to develop her knowledge of Indigenous culture and her own Indigenous heritage through Indigenous cricket.
"Touring also gave me a sense of belonging and sparked some curiosity inside of me to explore my cultural history further as I didn't know a lot about my history or Aboriginal history in general prior to the tours," Manix-Geeves said.
Manix-Geeves is one of nine players currently contracted for the Hurricanes, joining Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Amy Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman and Elyse Villani.
The Hobart Hurricanes will play seven home game fixtures in Tasmania in WBBL|08, five at nipaluna's (Hobart) Blundstone Arena and two at the Latrobe Recreation Ground.
