Blackwell 2014 Willowfest Ambassador

WOMEN’S Test cricketer Alex Blackwell has been announced as this year’s Willowfest cricket carnival ambassador.
Blackwell has played 10 Tests, 110 one-day internationals (ODIs) and 69 international Twenty20s for Australia since making her international debut in 2003.
She also has two Women’s World Cup trophies to her name, having helped the national team to the titles in 2005 and 2013.
Willowfest president Anthony Telfer said having Blackwell as ambassador was a coup for the tournament and organisers were excited about the announcement.
“Obviously we’ve had lots of high- profile male cricketers be our ambassador in the past. This year we’re looking forward to a female cricketer, who has played at the highest level for Australia,” he said.
Blackwell averages 33.8 with the bat in ODI cricket and has made two international centuries.
The 31-year-old captained the Southern Stars to the Women’s World Twenty20 in 2010 and was a member of the team that won the same title in Sri Lanka in 2012.
Telfer said Blackwell’s backing would complement the expansion of the ladies cricket competition in the Sunraysia region.
“Over the years, Willowfest has tried to break new ground as far as bringing people like Les Burdett (former Adelaide Oval curator) to the region, we put a lot back into our turf competitions when Les attended,” he said.
“Cricket Victoria is doing a lot of work with ladies cricket in this region, so to get someone like Alex up here is only going to increase the profile of ladies cricket here as well.”
Blackwell also captained the NSW women’s team to both the Twenty20 and 50-over competitions to the domestic titles in 2012, becoming the first team to win both in the same season.
Her identical twin, Kate, also played four Tests and 41 ODIs for Australia.
The sisters made cricketing history in 2006 when they became the first set of identical twins to play cricket for Australia.