WA future brightens with Darke recruit

Western Australia have added firepower with bat and ball for 2021-22 as they look to rebound from a horror WNCL season that saw them finish with the wooden spoon.

Promising 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Maddy Darke and seam-bowling allrounder Lisa Griffith have been lured west from the NSW Breakers.

And fast bowler Courtney Neale joins from Victoria to complete a trio of new additions to WA's 13-member squad.

Darke, who was part of an Australia A tour of England in 2019 that ran parallel to that winter’s Ashes, has made the move west for greater opportunity with the gloves.

She faced stiff competition to break into the NSW Breakers side as a wicketkeeper with Australia international Alyssa Healy and rising star Tahlia Wilson also in that squad.

But Darke, who is also off-contract in the WBBL after playing with the Sydney Sixers,, can expect regular playing time behind the stumps with Western Australia after last summer's keeper Megan Banting was delisted following a summer in which she managed just 36 runs in seven innings.

The state saw stalwart off-spinner Emma King retire after a 12-year career, while fast bowler Piepa Cleary turned down a new contract to move to the UK for personal reasons.

The loss of Cleary – who remains contracted to the Perth Scorchers for WBBL|07 – will be offset by the arrival of Neale, who played just three of Victoria's games last summer, and the continued development of WA rising star Sheldyn Cooper.

Two of those three games for Neale were at the WACA Ground, as the Victorian showed promise with a combined 2-58 from 13 overs across both games.

The 20-year-old Cooper, who has penned a new deal with the state, was named the state's rising star from last summer after showing impressive development through the year.

Griffith, who has previously captained the talented Breakers squad, brings her experience while the core of the WA squad remains intact with Nicole Bolton, Chloe Piparo, Taneale Peschel and Mathilda Carmichael all returning.

"We have an incredible depth of talent in the squad, with a diverse mix of players, youth and experience this year," said WACA General Manager High Performance, Kade Harvey.

"We're thrilled to bring in three quality players in Maddy, Lisa and Courtney and look forward to welcoming them into our program."

2021-22 Western Australia Women's Contract list

In: Madeleine Darke, Lisa Griffith, Courtney Neale

Out: Emma King (retired), Piepa Cleary (UK), Megan Banting (delisted).

Squad: Nicole Bolton, Zoe Britcliffe, Mathilda Carmichael, Sheldyn Cooper, Madeleine Darke, Ashley Day, Amy Edgar, Lisa Griffith, Molly Healy, Alana King, Courtney Neale, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Wyllie.