MELTON cricketer Kareena Jacobsen-Logan hadn’t even heard of the Imparja Cup until her coach, Nicole Martin, brought it up.
Even then, Nicole wasn’t even aware Kareena was Aboriginal, making her eligible for the Alice Springs cricket tournament showcasing the country’s best indigenous talent.
Though Kareena’s Invitational XI team fell short in the final against New South Wales, she came back from Australia’s red centre with fond memories of a culturally significant initiative.
“I think it’s something that’s really, really important and I had a ball doing it,” she said.
“I hope that we can get more sides to come and do it because it’s a great experience.
“Even the things we did when we weren’t playing cricket, like we went and had a cultural experience and we went and ate kangaroo tail and learnt about Alice Springs. It was just awesome.”
The Imparja Cup has continued to grow since its inception in the mid-90s, but Kareena was surprised by how big the event was in Alice Springs.
“That was eye-opening to me, actually,” she said.
“There were about 38 teams there this year, and I think it started with just two teams in 1994.
“So obviously it’s expanding and growing and people are realising what it is.”
The hard-hitting batter turned heads while she was there, earning selection into the All-Star team at the end of the competition.
Laughing, she admitted she was shocked to hear her name called for the honour.
“I was a bit surprised because I think my top score for that tournament was like 26, so I was like ‘what are they thinking?’,” she said.
However when pushed on the topic, she eventually admitted it was her slogging batting style that would have impressed those in the Alice Springs heat.
“Because it was so hot I wasn’t really keen on running between the wickets so I just tried to hit the ball as hard as I could.
“I got hold of a few of them but I didn’t hit a six, and I really wanted to hit a six.
“Apparently I was about two inches short of one in the semi final.”
