A COMBINED team from Wynnum-Manly and Redlands will become the seventh women's team to be part of the Premier Cricket competition this year.
Queensland Cricket announced the decision for the additional team to take part in the Katherine Raymont Shield for 2019-20.
Both clubs will continue to field teams in the Jodie Fields Shield second grade competition.
One of the players in line to join the new team will be Queensland under 18 player Clodagh Ryall, who plays in the Jodie Fields Shield team for Redlands.
The combined Wynnum-Manly and Redlands team will draw inspiration from international cricket trailblazer Ciara Metcalfe who has played for Wynnum-Manly in the Jodie Fields Shield for the past two seasons and worked as a junior coach for the club.
The former Irish international and three-time World Cup captain recently completed Cricket Australia's high performance coaching program.
QC state cricket manager John Stock said the decision meant female players involved in the Bayside, Easts and Redlands junior competitions would now have a clear pathway in place.
"Wynnum and Redlands have been very active in growing their player base at junior and senior levels and this initiative now means that girls in that region will have the opportunity to make further progress," he said.
Stock said Queensland Cricket's aim was for all Premier clubs to have under 15 and women's seconds teams and eight clubs to take part in the Katherine Raymont Shield by 2022.
"This aligns with the growth in participation numbers and overall interest as we work to make cricket the leading sport for women and girls," Stock said.
Wynnum-Manly fielded a first-grade team 11 seasons ago, before women's Premier cricket was restructured.
The new team will join Wests, University of Queensland, Valley, Gold Coast, Sandgate-Redcliffe and Ipswich/Logan.
The Wynnum/Redlands team will be announced on Monday at Wynnum-Manly Cricket Club.
Read more local sport here.
