'It's quite a special thing to be able to do'

When Ashleigh Gardner walks out to the middle for Australia, she carries with her a unique reminder of where she comes from.

The star allrounder is extremely proud of her Indigenous heritage; her mother Katherine is a Muruwari woman from northwest NSW and last year, Gardner became just the second Indigenous woman to play cricket for Australia.

Muruwari means 'to fall with a fighting club in one's hand'. It’s particularly fitting when you consider the way Gardner approaches her cricket – to go hard, go big, go down fighting and never give up.

It’s a thought never far from the 21-year-old’s mind when she’s at the crease.

On her arm, the word Muruwari is inked into her skin.

And in her hand, her Deadly blade.

Gardner is sponsored by Kingsport, who boast the 'Deadly' bat in their range. It’s a piece of willow adorned in indigenous-inspired stickers and described as a 'Test grade weapon of destruction' – an apt description for anyone who witnessed Gardner's 114 from 52 deliveries in the Rebel WBBL last summer.

This year, Kingsport allowed Gardner to design the bat's latest iteration.

"When I first signed with my sponsor, they already had the Deadly range, but this year I was lucky enough to help them design it," Gardner told cricket.com.au.

"So a lot of the features like the colours that are used, I personally got to pick which was really cool.

"It’s pretty awesome that I’m probably one of the only players who gets to use something so close to them when they’re out playing cricket, so it’s quite a special thing to be able to do.

"Being able to go out to bat and having something so special to me when I walk out there is an awesome thing.

"It’s always nice when you do look down when you’re taking guard to see a nice bat. I don’t look at the stickers so much, but it’s a nice full blade to hopefully hit more boundaries with."

Gardner is currently dealing with the effects of concussion – an ailment which ruled her out of the opening round of the Women’s National Cricket League this weekend.

But the off-spinning allrounder hopes to return in time for Australia's T20I series against New Zealand beginning at North Sydney Oval on September 29.

"Not many people who get to represent both their country and also their culture," Gardner said.

"When I pull on my Aussie shirt, it's such a special thing."

Gardner also had the bat with her when she skippered the women's Aboriginal XI on their commemorative tour of the United Kingdom in June.

"That whole tour was so special in itself, so going over there and having something like this bat with me, it did get a bit of traction because of what it meant to me and what the tour was all about."

CommBank T20 INTLs v NZ 

September 29: First T20I, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

October 1: Second T20I, Allan Border Field, Brisbane

October 5: Third T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra