Cricket family

Jayde Read Amanda Hardy

From left: Bella, Millie and Phoebe Spear

Cricket family fosters positive environment

There’s never a dull moment in the St Margaret College cricket family, with the impending addition of our own cricket nets and bowling machine, our Old Girl Amy Satterthwaite vice captaining the White Ferns, and the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Cricket is going from strength to strength. We now have six teams spanning the Middle and Senior Schools and 40 girls in Years 1-4 who are honing their skills.

Leading this growth is our PE & Health teacher Amanda Hardy, supported by a group of enthusiastic staff including Bindy O’Callaghan who works with our Junior cricketers. SMC enjoys a close relationship with Old Boys Collegians; Mandie Godliman is one of our leading supporters, and Richard Lough coaches our 1st Xl.

“Success for us is the girls having fun while playing a sport they enjoy and can play with their friends. It’s the positive people we have involved in our cricket programme who foster a positive environment that allows us to have fabulous cricket opportunities as players, coaches, leaders and umpires,” says Amanda.

“Success is seeing the number of people we have involved in our programme. Cricket is a sport rich in history and tradition and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our very own SMC Oval busy and full of budding young White Ferns regularly at training and games. How lucky are we to have our own groundsman, Grant Marra, preparing the oval for us. It looks an absolute treat.”

“As a cricket family, the girls don't necessarily look at success as a medal round our necks, much of it is about our growth as a team. It’s about building on our knowledge and skills and then applying them in a game. Success is seeing everyone smiling and having fun as they walk off the field at the end of the day. Success is accomplishing the little goals we set as a team.” The approach is obviously working. Aside from OGs Amy Satterthwaite and Maia Lewis, who captained the White Ferns in 1997 and again between 2003-05, high honours among current students include:

› Niamh McKenzie (Year 13), Canterbury U19 and Junior Magician representative teams

› Phoebe Spear (Year 12),

Junior Magician representative teams

› Jayde Read (Year 12 boarder from Oamaru),

Otago U19 Squad 2021/22 season

› Millie Spear (Year 10),

Junior Magician Representative teams

Phoebe, Millie and their older sister Bella (Year 13) are all in the 1st Xl.

For the past three years, our 2nd Xl has won the Forward Foundation Shield but such has been the growth and progress of our girls, that this year the 3rd X1 took on the challenge.

Amanda herself began playing cricket at primary school, joining the boys as there were never enough girls to make up a team. She later played for Otago age group representative teams and for the Otago Sparks in the National Provincial League.

“I just love the game. I was brought up with it and followed my Dad with all of his cricket. He is still playing at 73 years young at club level as well as in NZ Over 60 and NZ Over 70 teams. Cricket was a huge part of our family growing up, we had our own cricket nets on our farm and played cricket most days with Dad and our farm workers.”

“I love how anyone can play the game and how it’s a real leveller. You can be brilliant but then one ball can change everything.”