Wellington product Callee Black receives Basil Sellers Scholarship again

The Wellington product, who now calls Bathurst home and also plays for Penrith Cricket Club, said it was an honour to receive the scholarship again.

"We get funding from Cricket NSW to support us in our cricket journey, at school and anything in developing our cricket or us as people," the 15-year-old said.

"They try to chose people who are hopefully going to move up the ranks."

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Black is one of two Western cricketers to receive the scholarship, the other being Orange's Katie Letcher.

All up, 16 cricketers have been included in the program for the 2022-23 season.

Now in its 17^th season, the scholarship is philanthropically supported by its namesake Basil Sellers, who was the director for Cricket NSW in the 1980s, where he is a life member.

Black said the scholarship makes things easier for her parents, who regularly drive her to Sydney for cricket.

"It makes it easier for my parents," she said.

"They travel everywhere for my cricket. It also helps with my school fees; they get paid."

The MacKillop College student said she has only played two rounds of cricket so far this season.

In her round two NSW Women's Premier Cricket match (the opening round was washed out) on October 16, Black hit 19 not out off 13 balls, while taking one wicket in what was a Twenty20 match.

In the most recent round on Sunday, October 23, Black ended up playing two games for Penrith; one in first grade and another in second grade.

In second grade, she hit 44 runs off 40 balls in a shortened 12-over match against St George-Sutherland in the morning.

She followed that up in the afternoon with a knock off 26 runs off 25 balls in a full Twenty20 match against St George-Sutherland.

Black said she's been enjoying her cricket down at Penrith, in what is her second consecutive season player in NSW Women's Premier Cricket.

"It's really good. It's my second season," she said.

"I feel like I'm getting more comfortable playing down there. I was a bit nervous at the start but all the girls are really lovely."

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