October 31, 2022
A young Wondai cricketer has been selected to play for Queensland in her age group, despite never having played in the local competition.
Isabella Eisenmenger has been selected for the 10-12s age group and will be competing next month at the Girls National Cricket Exchange competition in Ballarat.
Isabella has played all her cricket through the school system.
She was picked in the schoolgirls South Burnett side in Under 10s and then went on to be play for Wide Bay as an 11-year-old and as a 12-year-old.
She co-captained the Wide Bay side in their recent competition, where they finished first in their pool and fourth overall after taking on South Coast, Metropolitan West, Sunshine Coast and Northern Invitational teams.
Isabella was the only South Burnett player to be selected for the 10-12s Wide Bay.
The all-rounder – she bats at number four and is a fast, opening bowler – started playing cricket seriously at the age of 10.
However, her dad Mark Eisenmenger said she actually started hitting a ball around the backyard at the age of three.
“She has always had good hand/eye co-ordination,” he said.
Isabella has also used this skill playing tennis, but at the moment it is cricket which is taking up all her attention.
She trains with her father at the Wondai Sportsground practice nets as often as she can.
Mark is a former cricketer. He played club cricket for Murgon for many years and even played Division cricket with Harrow Town CC in the UK.
As a schoolboy, he made a Queensland team at the age of 17.
“But it’s her turn now!” he emphasises.
“And I’ve beaten him, I’ve done it at the age of 12,” Isabella joked.
The Queensland team will be playing a mix of T20 and 35-over games at Ballarat.
The Eisenmenger family have launched a GoFund me page to help raise funds for the trip.
So far family members, friends and work colleagues have all chipped in to help.
Anyone wanting to help Isabella and her family get to Ballarat can donate online
[UPDATED with correction]
