Newcastle's emerging cricket star, Kate McTaggart, is poised to make her senior debut for NSW Country this weekend, bringing a wave of exceptional batting form to the national stage. The 19-year-old has been selected for the Bush Breakers women's squad competing at the Australian Country Cricket Championships in South Australia's Barossa Valley.
A Summer of Dominant Batting Form
The Northern Districts captain has been in irresistible touch this season, amassing an impressive 413 runs at an average of 45.89 in the NSW Premier Cricket T20 competition. This remarkable haul makes her the leading run-scorer in the T20 format, while she also sits comfortably within the top ten batters in the one-day games.
Her selection follows a standout performance at the Australian under-19 championships in December, where she finished as NSW Country's leading scorer and earned a coveted spot in the tournament's team of the tournament. McTaggart's potential has been formally recognised by Cricket NSW, which awarded her a prestigious Basil Sellers scholarship designed to fast-track the state's most promising talents into professional cricket.
Coach's Confidence and Team Dynamics
NSW Country coach Kate Jackson has high expectations for the debutant. "Kate's just had a pretty good campaign at 19s in Newcastle and she's been playing really well in grade cricket for Northern Districts this year as well, so she's going to be a really valuable add," Jackson said.
Jackson highlighted McTaggart's versatile skill set, noting she will slot into the top order. "She bats 360, she certainly hits the ball hard but she has that technical ability as well. She's dealing in runs this year, so hopefully she can continue that form while we're away."
McTaggart is joined in the Bush Breakers squad by two other Newcastle players: experienced top-order batter Kirsten Smith (26) from Newcastle City, playing in her seventh national championships, and Emma-Jayne Howe (36), a spinner from Waratah-Mayfield, competing in her fifth.
Format Change Offers New Hope
This year's tournament introduces a significant shift, incorporating one-day matches alongside the traditional T20 games. For spinner Emma-Jayne Howe, this is a welcome development for women's cricket. "You can't really show your true potential when it's just T20 because some people are good at one-dayers, some people are better at T20s, so it's very exciting to see that the longer game is coming into women's cricket," she said.
Coach Jackson believes the altered format, which will see the champion decided by points rather than a finals series, could benefit her side. NSW Country has faced heartbreak in recent years, losing the 2022-23 final in a super over and bowing out in the semi-finals for the past two summers. "We've come close and fallen short in the past few years," Jackson admitted. "I'm personally hopeful that not having finals might play in our favour."
New-Look Men's and Junior Squads Also Feature Newcastle Talent
The Newcastle region will also be strongly represented in the men's national country championships in Busselton, Western Australia. Merewether all-rounder Patrick Moore (24) is one of nine debutants in a refreshed NSW Country men's team, known as the Bush Blues.
He is joined by Hamilton Wickham wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Balcomb, on his second national campaign, and Stockton leg-spinning allrounder Aaron Bills, who is set for his fourth consecutive Australian Country carnival. Incoming men's coach Shane Burley described Moore as a player with "good white-ball skills" who has been on the radar since moving to Newcastle.
At the junior level, 16-year-old Waratah-Mayfield fast bowler Tasman Davidson has earned a spot in the NSW Country under-17 male squad. Furthermore, Newcastle is anticipated to supply several players to the under-16 female side after the local team secured the NSW Country title in Ballarat last month.
Local Cricket Returns
Meanwhile, the Newcastle District Cricket Association first-grade competition resumes this Saturday. Key fixtures include top-placed Newcastle City travelling to Wallsend, and matches featuring University, Hamwicks, Stockton, Waratah, Belmont, Charlestown, Merewether, and Wests across the region.
The week-long women's championships begin on Saturday, January 3, 2026, with the NSW Country Bush Breakers facing East Asia Pacific and South Australia in their opening T20 matches.
