Hosts name blend of youth and experience ahead of National Indigenous Cricket Championships

Callan Morse Published March 25, 2025 at 12.30pm (AWST)

Sport

Dylan McLachlan will captain Queensland's men at next week's National Indigenous Cricket Championships. (Image: Albert Perez/Cricket Australia)

Host state Queensland has named its men's and women's squads for the upcoming National Indigenous Cricket Championships.

The tournament marks the first time a state other than the Northern Territory has hosted the Championships, which has previously been held on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe/Alice Springs for the past eight years.

Queensland will have the home turf advantage on Yuwibara Country at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena and Harrup Park, with players in both squads hailing from the local area.

They include Pioneer Valley's Cody Firewood, while Tracee Williamson, Grace Warcon, Jessica Martin and Dharmini Chauhan the local-based players in the women's squad.

Queensland's women's squad has been strengthened by the inclusion of Chauhan, a batting allrounder, who was awarded Player of the Tournament while playing for New South Wales at the 2024 Championships, as well as Jessica Martin, who has previously represented Victoria at the annual carnival.

Valley District Cricket Club wicketkeeper-batter Dylan McLachlan will captain the men's team, the Queensland Cricket Academy and Queensland 2nd XI representative in charge of a youthful squad which includes several promising Queensland Premier Cricket players such as Cruz Baker (Norths), Darcy Graham (Wests) and Banjo Seaniger (Sunshine Coast Scorchers).

Former Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander XI and Queensland Country representative Brad Stout will coach the women's team, with ex-New Zealand international and Queensland Cricket staffer Nicola Browne also assisting with their preparation.

Former Queensland Indigenous representative Michael Prien will coach the men's team, with Barry Weare - a former Prime Ministers XI representative - his assistant.

Queensland's women's side will begin their 2025 National Indigenous Cricket Championships campaign on Wednesday 2 April against Western Australia at Harrrup Park's George Gorrie Oval, with Queensland's men's team taking on Victoria at Harrup Park's Roy Trevaskis Oval the same day.

The National Indigenous Cricket Championships will be held from 2-7 April.

2025 Queensland Women's Indigenous Team

Christina Coulson Kaurareg (Valley DCC)

Clodagh Ryall Kaurareg (Wynnum-Manly DCC)

Dharmini Chauhan Wiradjuri (Mackay CC)

Grace Abdy Waanyi Ganggalida (Valley DCC)

Tamika Hansen Iman (Norths, Cairns)

Lucy Neumann Ngyiampaa (Gold Coast DCC)

Jessica Martin Wiradjuri (Mackay CC)

Grace Warcon South Sea Islander (Mackay CC)

Tracee Williamson Kaurareg (Sarina Cricket)

Carys Underwood Kaomu (Sunshine Coast DCC)