CLARA Iemma was the first of the four children in her family to start playing cricket.
In 2009, she started playing cricket in boys' teams progressing from playing park cricket for Kingsgrove Cricket Club in the St George junior association to a topline NSW female player in that time.
After her first year of playing cricket, Clara made the NSW Primary Schools Sport Association (NSW PSSA) team.
While she had played football with Roselands and Sydney Olympic, Clara said cricket became her destiny.
Her father, Morris Iemma, (former NSW Premier) would get out old DVDs of Test and one-day games for his children to watch and they became hooked on cricket.
Clara, 17, of Beverly Hills, was last week named NSW Player of the Tournament at the 2016 National Women's Under-18 titles held in Canberra.
NSW were runners-up to Victoria in the final.
NSW were chasing a 12th consecutive under-18 title.
She scored 133 runs and took eight wickets averaging 10. Clara will also attend the Cricket Australia Centre of Excellence training in Brisbane this September.
"I am very honoured to be named the best NSW player and as one of the three best players of the tournament," she said.
St George Sutherland duo Rene Farrell and Nicola Carey were in the Sydney Thunder team that won the Women's Big Bash League final against the Sydney Sixers at the MCG last Sunday.
Mortdale's Sarah Aley took 2-19 for the Sixers, while Farrell took 2-22.
The Thunder won the inaugural competition after chasing the Sixers total of 7-115 with three wickets in hand.
