2026/27 Basil Sellers Scholars Announced: Congratulations Willa & Austin!
Announced: Monday July 27 2026
The Cricket NSW Foundation has today announced its 21st intake to the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program, with 12 male and female players receiving scholarships for the 2026-27 Season.
The program, made possible by the generosity of Cricket NSW Vice Patron and Life Member, Basil Sellers AO, provides a cohort of the state’s most promising players with skills and opportunities to further their transition to elite cricket.
Players receiving scholarships for the 2026-27 season includes local athletes.
The 2026-27 Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program participants are:
William Byrom (Northern District CC)
Blake Cattle (Illawarra & Keira CC)
Yash Deshmukh (Fairfield-Liverpool CC)
Ava Drury (Central Coast & Northern District CC)
Austin Hunt (Dubbo DYMS CC & Manly Warringah CC)
Shiloh Julien (Parramatta WGCC & Baulkham Hills CC)
Aurora Mavros (Campbelltown Camden CC & Melonba CC)
Maisie Miller (Central Coast & Northern District CC)
Neel Patel (UNSW CC)
Willa Pearson (Manly Warringah CC & Seaforth CC)
Charlotte Shoemark (Bathurst & Western)
Cooper Williams (North Coast)
Scholars will receive support across a range of areas, including leadership and mindset development, access to Cricket NSW high-performance facilities, financial support and an equipment sponsorship offer from Kookaburra Sports.
The program is administered by the Cricket NSW Foundation and Cricket Performance team.
Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program scholars 2026-27 Season. Photo: Cricket NSW
Cricket NSW Chief Cricket Performance Officer, Greg Mail, said:
“For 20 years, Basil Sellers’ support has been integral to the development of a generation of elite cricketers.
“Of the 179 scholars to have participated in the program, 99 have gone on to play professional cricket, with 26 representing Australia, including some of our sport’s biggest names – Pat Cummins, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Steve Smith.
“We look forward to welcoming the 21st cohort of scholars to Cricket Central this year and thank Basil for his commitment to our elite pathways and participants.”
Cricket NSW Foundation Director, Moises Henriques, said:
“The Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program is a testament to what one person’s generosity and vision can do for a sport.
“Basil’s belief in young cricketers, long before the world knows their names, is truly special. His continued engagement with each cohort of scholars makes this program far more than a financial contribution - it is personal, purposeful, and makes a real difference.
“Having played professional cricket for so long, I know that success in this game never comes without support. Programs like this provide a platform for cricketers to develop on and off the field while lessening the financial burden on them and their families.
“The Cricket NSW Foundation thanks Basil for his ongoing support of our next generation of cricketers, and we wish every scholar success in their careers.”
Willa Pearson is an Australian dual-sport athlete who plays soccer as a defender for A-League Women club Sydney FC and the Australia U17 national team, and cricket as a wicketkeeper and batter for the Manly Warringah District Cricket Club, including in the U18's Brewer Shield and first-grade debuts. Ella is known for being the youngest player to ever debut in the A-League Women, having debuted aged 14 years and 312 days.
Cricket NSW states:
''Willa is a talented athlete who is competitive in both cricket and football. Willa is a skilled wicket keeper with fast hands and effortless movements behind the stumps, whilst also demonstrating strong top order batting in Sydney Women’s Premier Cricket. This combination of skill and athletic abilities sees Willa as a cricketer of the future who has a desire to be the best.''
Willa receiving her official intake notification to the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program from Mr. Sellars himself. Photo: Cricket NSW
Austin Hunt is a Year 11 student at Dubbo College and a bowler with Dubbo DYMS CC & Manly Warringah CC. He is regarded as one of the state's leading emerging fast-bowl prospects. Cricket NSW states; ''A right-arm fast bowler, he has progressed rapidly through the NSW elite junior pathways through selection in the NSW Country Under 17 team and NSW Country U19 Boys Cricket Academy squad, and a member of the NSW All Schools u15 team at the Australian Schools Championships. Austin plays for Dubbo CYMS and in Sydney's premier U16 competition, the AW Green Shield for the Manly Warringah CC.
Austin receiving his official intake notification to the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program. Photo: Cricket NSW
Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program
The Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program is a world-class development program, designed to provide our best emerging cricketers with the skills and opportunities they need to effectively transition to NSW contracted programs.
The best emerging male and female athletes from across the state are offered a place in the program. Numbers are small to allow for bespoke programming and elite servicing.
The program is available to metropolitan and country-based athletes, with a servicing model designed around each player’s individual circumstances.
Programs are overseen by a member of Blues or Breakers coaching teams to ensure alignment with elite teams.
Athletes are given access to the best coaching, Sports Science and Sports Medicine resourcing and career support.
Thanks to the continuing magnanimous support and philanthropy of former Cricket NSW Director, Basil Sellers AO, the program enters its 21st year this season. There has been a total of 179 unique scholarship recipients since the inception of the program in the 2006/07 season.
Within that 179, 26 male and female cricketers have gone on to represent Australia in the Test, One-Day or T20 arenas including current Australian Captains Pat Cummins and Alyssa Healy.
The 26 scholars to have represented Australia at the highest levels include:
- Sean Abbott
- Stella Campbell
- Nicola Carey
- Lauren Cheatle
- Sam Konstas
- Patrick Cummins
- Hannah Darlington
- Ashleigh Gardner
- Josh Hazlewood
- Alyssa Healy
- Phillip Hughes
- Usman Khawaja
- Phoebe Litchfield
- Nic Maddinson
- Erin Osborne
- Kurtis Patterson
- Ellyse Perry
- Gurinder Sandhu
- Tanveer Sangha
- Steven Smith
- Naomi Stalenberg
- Mitchell Starc
- Adam Zampa
- Jack Edwards
- Tahlia Wilson
- Joel Davies
Other graduates of the program include former England Test opening batsman, Sam Robson, South Australian batsman Tom Cooper and former Blues paceman Timm Van der Gugten, who both represented the Netherlands at international level, Ireland representative Celeste Raack and NSW Breakers batter Elsa Hunter, who has captained Malaysia.
Website: www.peninsulacricketclub.com.au
Home Ground: Kitchener Park Mona Vale
Peninsula Cricket Club is a large junior cricket club covering from Palm Beach through to Narrabeen. Our Cricket Blast season commences October 17 (Warriewood Sports Field). Cricket Blast is our entry level cricket program designed to teach the kids the basics of the game before tackling competitive Cricket from U10s. Register here.
Junior Cricket registrations for the 2026/27 season are open now.
Stage 2 & 3 (U12-U16) kick off Sept 12,
Stage 1 (U10-U11) and Girls (U11/U13/U15) kick off Oct 17.
Head to: www.peninsulacricketclub.com.au for more information
We are the only Cricket Club in the Barrenjoey Peninsula catchment area - Palm Beach to Narrabeen – and we are Not for Profit. Our primary focus is the children's welfare as they develop their skills, passion and a lifelong love for the wonderful game of cricket.
We have Cricket skill programs, designed to get kids into Cricket - so think Kindy, Year 1 and 2 - available at 3 locations. The cricket skills program runs at Avalon (Wednesday), Warriewood (Friday evening), Warriewood (Saturday morning).
We have modified games, so no helmets, pads etc. These re-designed for children for prior to getting into competition Cricket, for Years 3 and 4.
Then we also offer Competitive Cricket for U10s and Up for boys. We have 3 girls teams in the U11s, U13s and U15s – and are always wanting to build up more girls playing.
FREE GIRLS CRICKET CLINIC – Aged 8-13 🏏
Does your daughter play PSSA Cricket for their school. Cricket for Peninsula is the perfect next step — same sport, same friends, straight through summer! ☀️
Come try a FREE 4-week clinic with Peninsula Cricket Club coaches. No pressure, no need to sign up for the season — just come along and see what club cricket is like!
PreSeason Clinic run by Peter Robinson (Girls Co-ordinator) , Gary Searles (Club Registrar)
FREE to all girls coming into U11s or wanting some pre season training.
Venue: Lake Park Narrabeen
Additional information: Coaches will be coming from the Manly Warringah Premier Womens Grade Club
- 📅 Starting August 9th | ⏱ 1 hour sessions | 4 weeks
- 👭 Bring your whole PSSA team!
- 💰 100% FREE
📲 Register now: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/58ecc1
More details are on all PCC teams on our Website: www.peninsulacricketclub.com.au
Cricket Season Options: Other Manly-Warringah Junior and Senior Cricket Clubs and Facilities
Collaroy Plateau Cricket Club - Collaroy Plateau - Website
Wakehurst Redbacks Cricket Club - Frenchs Forest - Website
Harbord Cricket Club - Freshwater/Harbord - Website
Manly Warringah District Cricket Club, founded in 1878, continues to participate in the Sydney Grade Cricket Competition – the strongest competition of its type in the world. Manly Oval - Website
Manly Cricket Academy - Cromer - (02) 8018 6980 - Website
Women’s Metropolitan Competition
This has been created in Sydney to offer more opportunities to female cricketers (6yrs & above) to participate in a fun and competitive environment across metro Sydney. Its traditional cricket (playing 9 a side off a full pitch) and competition starts in February and runs for approximately six weeks.
Join your local club to play or express your interest here: www.cricketnsw.com.au/metropolitan-competitions/womens (Harbord and Cromer form part of local lead-in clubs).
Junior Cricket Season 2014/15 at Hitchcock Park, Avalon, October 25 2014. Photo: A J Guesdon.
Basil Sellers AO
Basil Sellers AO (born in 1935) is an Indian-born Australian businessman and philanthropist who is also a BIG supporter of Sports and Art over many years.
Mr. Sellers was born in India and grew up in the Anglo-Indian Railway Colonies, where he developed an early interest in sports such as badminton, tennis, and cricket. He migrated with his family to Australia, and was educated at King's College, Adelaide.
Mr. Sellers played senior basketball and represented South Australia when the team won the 1958 Australian Championship. During the 1980s, he owned the Newcastle Basketball team and worked as a Director of the New South Wales Cricket Association (now Cricket New South Wales) from 1984 to 1987. He is a life member of Cricket NSW. His charitable contributions include donations to the McGrath Foundation as well as his decades of support in establishing the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program. He has also donated to sporting initiatives and scholarships, such as the Barassi Scholarship and the Sydney Swans. He has also contributed to the club's football centre at the SCG.
Mr Sellers has held leadership roles in several companies, including as the chief executive and major shareholder of Linter Group Ltd. He was associated with Gestetner PLC, a UK-listed company later acquired by Ricoh, and has invested in mineral resources.
Mr. Sellers was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2003 Australia Day Honours for "service to the community as a philanthropist through donations to a number of charitable and community organisations, to sports development, and to business". He was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours for "distinguished service to the community through philanthropy and leadership, and to sports administration". In February 2018, Mr. Sellers was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bond University in recognition of his charitable work, sports development, and business acumen. In December 2023, he was granted SCG Life Membership for his philanthropy, an acknowledgement of works done held by just 45 people.
Basil Sellers AO is one of the founders of the Bradman Museum in Bowral, New South Wales, and a life member of the Bradman Foundation. He also founded a respite centre in Moruya for elite athletes from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, and similar centres in Tweed Heads.
In 2009, Mr. Sellers' philanthropic support led to the establishment of the inaugural National Sports Museum Basil Sellers Creative Arts Fellowship. This bi-annual fellowship allows contemporary artists to explore themes related to Australia's sporting heritage using the collections of the National Sports Museum at the MCG.
The Basil Sellers Sports Sculpture Project of eleven sculptures erected at the Sydney Cricket Ground forms part of his legacy to sports. An additional four sculptures were commissioned by the SCG and a small group of Trustees. The 15 sculptures were crafted by renowned NSW artists Cathy Weiszmann and Terrance Plowright and always strike a reaction from their various locations within the SCG precinct.
The Basil Sellers Art Prize was founded in 2004 by Mr. Sellers in the Eurobodalla Shire. In February 2019 the official opening of the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre (the Bas) in Moruya, as the region's first purpose-built exhibition space took place.
