Tasmania’s Mia Barwick becomes youngest player in Australia’s under-19s

Mia Barwick first picked up a cricket bat as a 9 year-old when her brother’s Glenorchy team was short a player.

Now aged 15, she has become the youngest player selected for Australia’s under-19s squad, marking a breakthrough moment for the state’s cricket development.

Barwick, from Mangalore in the Southern Midlands, will represent Australia in a tri-series against England and Sri Lanka in Brisbane next month.

She said she hasn’t looked back since that call-up to the all-boys team.

Barwick started playing cricket at age 9 for her brother’s Glenorchy team

“There was no girls teams and then I was on the sidelines and my brother only had nine players in his team,” Barwick told Pulse.

“So they asked me and then yeah, I never looked back after that.”

The Sacred Heart College student said she is aiming for the Australian women’s cricket team one day

Her father Nathan Barwick said she’s always shown a drive to succeed, even in family board games or sport in the backyard played amongst family.

“She always had to either hit the last run or kick the last goal before we go inside,” Nathan said.

“She’s very, very competitive. Cricket Tasmania coaches say the same thing.”

“Whatever she has done, from a young age, she’s been talented really.”

Barwick has been playing first-grade cricket at North Hobart for the past three years

“She still continues to amaze me with some of the things she does.”

The results haven’t come without sacrifice. While her friends are celebrating birthdays and going to parties, Barwick is usually either training or preparing for matches.

“She’s sacrificed a lot,” her dad said.

“Obviously the talent’s there, but she works very hard.”

The Mangalore teenager balances school and elite cricket training

“She never misses training, even if she feels sick or anything.”

Barwick has already been playing first-grade cricket at North Hobart for three years and made her debut for Tasmania’s WNCL team this season.

To play cricket at the highest level remains the long-term ambition for the Sacred Heart College student.

“Obviously to represent Australia in the women’s team, that’s like the main goal for me,” she said.

The tri-series runs for nearly three weeks from March 30 and forms part of preparations for next year’s under-19s World Cup.

Barwick said she doesn’t get nervous before big tournaments.

“I’m more just excited to get out there and yeah, show what I’ve been working on,” she said.