For three young women, their incredible talent, persistence and love of cricket has led to them being named the Kay Leverington Scholarship holders from season 2024-25.
The Kay Leverington Scholarship has bolstered WA Cricket’s female stocks for over a decade, since its inception in 2013.
Seventeen-year-old Ines McKeon, a prodigious batting talent who has already left her mark in underage national competitions, was left speechless when news of becoming a Kay Leverington Scholarship holder sunk in.
“I’m pretty honoured to be part of the Kay Leverington Scholarship this season, and excited to have the opportunities coming my way as well as the support that I will receive. I really just can’t wait to be part of it,” she said.
A powerful ball-striker tipped to excel in short form cricket, McKeon believes she will benefit from the opportunities the Kay Leverington Scholarship affords, such as playing on the WACA Ground and accessing WA Cricket’s support staff.
The scholarship also offers its recipients financial support for new equipment, private training sessions and fuel costs while travelling around the Perth metropolitan area.
“I definitely want to play internationally, play in different competitions around the world and hopefully play for Australia,” McKeon said.
“I feel it is possible now thanks to the support coming through and everyone helping me and the girls to get to where we want to be, do our best and get better.”
Nineteen-year-old Rebecca McGrath has been part of the WA Cricket Academy Program since her early teens and is eternally grateful for the chance to join an increasingly impressive list of Kay Leverington Scholarship recipients.
“The Kay Leverington Scholarship gives us a lot and we get to put a lot of time into developing ourselves and just into cricket in general which is great,” McGrath said.
“I’d love to play professional cricket, I really enjoy playing and so being able to take it further and travel, put extra time in and have access to staff and support will hopefully take me to the next level.”
For recently graduated highschooler McGrath, the scholarship allows her to achieve a sustainable balance between cricket and other aspects of life.
“The funding will be really good for me to have some time off and have a little bit of a buffer so I can focus more on my cricket and see my family and friends, which is so good for me outside of cricket,” she said.
Chloe Bartholomew, 17, represented WA‘s Under-19 side during season 2023-24, which is just a taste for where she wants to see her cricket career take her.
“Being a recipient of the Kay Leverington Scholarship this year is a massive honour for me, it’s been huge,” she said.
“The Scholarship will be really helpful in being able to learn skills both on and off field, leadership and time management, which will really help me in the long run if I am playing with senior groups and hopefully playing for Australia one day.”
The Kay Leverington Scholarships are made possible thanks to the ongoing support and generosity of our donors to Female Development Pathway through the WA Cricket Foundation’s Young Women & Girls pillar.