Up and coming Western Australian Indigenous cricketer James Eatt has spent a day mingling with professionals of the game through an opportunity provided by Western Australian Cricket's Aboriginal Talent Academy program.
Eatt was selected from the Academy to participate in the money can't buy experience at last week's Perth Scorchers First Nations round fixture against the Adelaide Strikers.
Flanked by WA National Indigenous Cricket Championships coach Marsh Jackson, Eatt watched the Scorchers on-field warm up from the field of play, mingled with players including Stephen Eskinazi and Liam Haskett.
He also took part in the pre-match bat flip alongside Scorchers captain Aaron Hardie and Adelaide Strikers captain Matt Short.
Although Eatt missed last year's metropolitan trials for the Academy he was determined to be selected, driving to Bunbury to put his case forward.
After being selected he then sustained an injury which impacted most of his pre-season, however through dedication to his rehabilitation and with the support of the Academy, he has now made a successful recovery having resumed full training.
Eatt said including the trial, he considered being part of the Aboriginal Talent Academy has been a great experience.
"I felt I left the trial a better cricketer than when I got there," he said, via WA Cricket.
Eatt said he appreciated the support provided by former Australian international Zoe Goss, who heads the WA Aboriginal Talent Academy program.
"Zoe Goss is the coach of the Academy and it she just worked for about an hour. It was a really great experience being able to pick her brain," he said.
"Everyone in the Academy has been really supportive and I've been training the house down, so it has been great."
The emerging allrounder said the first time walking out at the WACA Ground to train was a "pretty surreal" experience.
"Having grown up watching cricket there and then being out in the middle myself is pretty cool," he said.
WA Cricket's Aboriginal Talent Academy is one of numerous programs supported by the WA Cricket Foundation.
Other Aboriginal cricket programs supported by the Foundation include a school leadership program, the Karalundi Deadly Cricket Program and the Kambarang Youth Carnival.
