New Tiger can’t wait to pounce with white ball

THE wait to pull on Tigers colours has been longer than anticipated for Heather Graham, and the former WA all-rounder is ready to hit the ground running on Wednesday.

Graham joined her new teammates for pre-season last June, but the delay to the WNCL competition meant her first competitive cricket for the summer was with the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL.

Fellow new state recruits Rachel Priest and Naomi Stalenberg were part of the Hurricanes’ set-up, but there has been plenty of time between the two competitions for Graham to reacquaint herself ahead of Tasmania’s first 50-over match against the ACT in Canberra.

“Normally we have a round or two before WBBL, so it was a bit weird having a pre-season with the Tigers girls and then not playing a game,” Graham said.

“But I had a long pre-season with the girls, so got to know them really well before joining back up with the Scorchers.

“I got to know the girls and we’ve had a few practice matches, so with those under the belt it’s taken the nerves away a bit as well.”

While the Scorchers had a reasonably successful Big Bash in reaching the semi-finals compared to the Hurricanes, who picked up another wooden spoon, Graham said the mood within the Tasmanian camp was still upbeat when she returned to the state. “We are shaping up really well,” she said.

“I think we have a really strong side coming into this first round of games starting on Wednesday.

“The girls are in really good shape at the moment and we are all eager to get out there and show what we are made of.”

Graham will enter the WNCL on the back of some strong CTPL form, having followed up a 91 in the first round in January with an unbeaten 52 last Sunday, to go with her season-opening century for Clarence.

“I have a pretty important role being an all-rounder,” she said.

“We have a few all-rounders and we all want to be able to put our best foot forward with bat and ball and put our best performances out there as a collective.”