FROM the first ball she faced, cricket talent Samira Mitchell knew she was in for a successful day when making her debut for Gordon second grade against Sydney at Chatswood Oval.
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"I don't know why, but I was just in the zone,'' the 16-year-old opening batter explained.
"Then when I got to 50 I knew I was going to make a century.''
Her intuition proved correct for Samira smashed 122 from 125 balls. This is her second century, but she says it is her best innings, eclipsing the 101 she made playing for Manning in a junior inter-district game.
Samira is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning an early Christmas present of a $50 open order at Iguana.
Samira knew she was getting close to the three figures when the message came out from the Sydney coach to put the spin bowlers on.
"They wanted to tie me up,'' Samira said.
"Then I heard one of their players say I was 90-something.''
However, she held her nerve, running a single then cracking a boundary to make the century. She was elated.
"It was so good,'' she said of the moment.
Gordon made 271, but the opposition ran down the score in the second last over.
Samira linked with Gordon with the aim of playing more games in women's cricket and to gain more experience and exposure.
"Gordon looked like a good club, so we chose them,'' she said.
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"I can't play every weekend, because I can't get down to Sydney all the time. But I want to play as often as possible.''
Her ambition is to play first grade, but she concedes that is difficult when she isn't available every match.
Samira's in for a busy few months. Next week she heads to Raymond Terrace to play for North Coast in the NSW Country under 16 girls' championship. She'll then play for NSW Country southern against northern and Sydney Metro in the State Challenge to pick a NSW team to play in the quad series against Victoria in Albury.
In January she'll play for North Coast under 19s at the Country championships.
She's also a member of the Coffs Coast Chargers Women's Regional Big Bash League team. Chargers and Newcastle have won through to the State finals following preliminary matches on the Central Coast, where Samira scored 44 and took 2/11 in a game against Northern Inland. Samira understands the playoffs will be at either North Sydney Oval or the SCG. She hopes is the SCG.
"To play there would be a dream come true,'' she smiled.
Eventually Samira wants to play in the WBBL as well the Women's National Cricket League.
