CASTERTON cricketer, Alyssa Humphries has taken great strides for Victoria at the Indoor Cricket National Championships in Melbourne last week as she showcased her talents against the best female players in Australia at Casey Stadium.

It has been three years since the National Championships were held due to the influence of COVID-19, and with 48 teams participating across 10 divisions this year, it’s a busy schedule for both male and female players in able-bodied and intellectual disability competitions.

At only 21 years of age, Humphries is still eligible for the U/22 women’s team, but through sheer hard work and weight of performance, she has been selected in the Open Women’s squad as a hard-hitting all-rounder who can take the keeping gloves as well.

Unfortunately, Western Australia, ACT and Tasmania failed to send a team in the Open Women’s section and those places have been filled by a Cricket Australia Under-22 Invitation side and a Queensland Under-22 team as Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland round out the competition.

The National Championships were first held back in 1985 and they have been held every year since (except for the COVID impacted years) with Queensland being the dominant state winning 21 men’s titles and 18 women’s titles in that time.

Considering Humphries is based in Casterton, her selection is testament to her dedication to her chosen sport as she has had to travel extensively for games, trials and training.

“A couple of girls I went to school with, got me involved in the sport and I loved it as it allowed me to play cricket all year long,” Humphries said.

“I’ve been travelling down to Melbourne every weekend for the last couple of months, with Super League games every Friday night and state squad training Saturday night so I would spend the whole weekend down there, but I was able to use the Monivae Hub as a training base back home a couple of times a week.”

At the time of print, Victoria is sitting in second place on the ladder after the qualifying rounds of the competition, having only lost to Queensland (88-115) and (117-91).

The team has defeated SA (117-56), NSW (140-98), CA Invitation (124-8), SA (129-84), NSW 88-71), Qld Invitation (132-74)

Humphries has been instrumental in the five games she has played, with 86 runs to her name without being dismissed and five wickets for only 53 runs with her medium pacers.

After the qualifying rounds, she is sitting well inside the top 20 performers for the carnival and with the World Cup to be held here later in the year, she has put her name forward for the national selectors to ponder over.

Known as a wicket keeper in outdoor cricket where she plays Premier First grade for Essendon-Maribyrnong Park, Humphries is reserve ‘keeper in the team but is fielding at cover in the front court (think silly mid-off in outdoor cricket) where she excels.

Victoria now plays South Australia for the right to play Queensland in the Grand Final and no doubt the Vics will want to win and seek revenge over the Queenslanders.