Zoe on the go, Marnee on the money

Gunnedah-based Marnee Walters and Zoe Fleming are representing their state and indigenous heritage in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC) from April 2 to 7.

Playing in these championships will be a first for the 14-year-old Marnee, and the sixth time for the 23-year-old Zoe whose first time was at the age of 15.

Marnee has Ngemba/Gamilaroi heritage, as her mum’s side of the family is indigenous and hails from Brewarrina.

Zoe has Kamilaroi heritage, as she hails from Gunnedah while her indigenous roots come from her mum and nan.

After the NICC was previously held at Alice Springs, this year’s event will be played on Yuwibara Country in Mackay as the 20-overs-per-side fixtures are at Harrup Park and the Great Barrier Reef Arena.

NSW will seek to defend the women’s title while Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia also try to win it as round-robin fixtures are followed by semi-finals and a final.

Women’s and men’s teams will subsequently be chosen for a tour of Vanuatu in May.

With the NICC aiming to improve the representation of indigenous cricketers, it has been a part of the journeys for Australian internationals including Ash Gardner and Hannah Darlington.

Both right-handed all-rounders, Marnee and Zoe earned selection in this year’s NSW women’s team after playing for the Sydney Sixers against the Sydney Thunder in a First Nations T20 Cup match at Blacktown International Sportspark last month.

Zoe scored 12 not out and bowled one over, while Marnee bowled a couple of overs as the Thunder chased down the target in 12 overs.

Remarkably it was Zoe’s first game of cricket at any level for a few years, after sustaining knee injuries when playing leaguetag and rugby league. She had a knee reconstruction in 2019 before having a reconstruction on her other knee in 2022, and then returning to leaguetag in 2024.

Although Zoe wasn’t at peak form or fitness for last month’s First Nations contest, she was fortunate that the coach of the NSW women’s indigenous team, Kerry Marshall, remembered her from previous NICC outings and asked if she was available for this year’s NICC.

“It was a little bit of a shock to be picked, considering I hadn’t played (cricket) for three years,” Zoe said.

Zoe said she enjoyed her previous experiences at the NICC, with NSW winning the women’s division in each year she played from 2017 to 2021 as part of a staggering 13-year winning streak.

Although she didn’t remember her own performances too well, Zoe has had a stronger recollection of Gardner being dominant.

Zoe also represented an Australian women’s indigenous team on a commemorative tour of England in 2018, as the tourists played against county teams.

Closer to home, Zoe played club cricket in Gunnedah several years ago before playing second and third grade for the Tamworth-based Old Boys club.

Zoe also represented North West and Central North throughout her schooling years, and played a couple of games for Northern Inland.

Marnee meanwhile said it was surprising to be picked for this year’s NICC, as she will be among the youngest members of the NSW team.

Marnee has played junior cricket in Gunnedah and has also represented Northern Inland, Central North and North West in underage representative cricket.

One of Marnee’s Northern Inland teammates, Zaylia Page, has also been chosen in this year’s NSW team.