Abby, who has been working towards making the team for a while, says "when I got named it was a nice feeling seeing my hard work pay off".
A keen wicket-keeper and batter, Abby played her first two matches for the side in Christchurch earlier this month, against Canterbury A.
Otago celebrated landslide victories in both games, with Abby rising to the occasion — managing one stumping and four catches behind the stumps.
Abby, seventh in the batting order, didn’t get the chance to show off her batting skills as Otago easily knocked off the runs in both occasions.
Playing in the A side means doors are opening for Abby, helping her get closer to achieving her ultimate dream of being signed by the Otago Sparks — Otago’s women’s first-class domestic team.
In Christchurch, Abby had the opportunity to play with five Sparks players, who joined her team as practice ahead of the domestic season.
"It’s always awesome to be around them."
Recently she even got the call-up to wicket-keep for the Sparks in a pre-season match in Timaru.
Playing in Polly Inglis’ spot, who was overseas with the White Ferns, "was surreal", she says.
"The exposure was really good — it was good to get an insight into how the team prepares."
Grateful at the opportunity to play for the A side, Abby travels to Dunedin to train with the team once a week, sometimes joining in with the Sparks training.
Before making the A side, Abby would train alongside boys’ sides, to face faster bowling than what most of the girls in the Whakatipu have to offer.
"I would often feel like a small fish in a big pond, so it is nice to be playing at a challenging level with girls and getting the social side of the sport with them."
The next time the A side play, Abby will get the honour of playing in front of a home crowd — the team are playing here in January as part of the annual Queenstown Cricket Carnival.
The Wakatipu High School leaver is making the move to Dunedin next year, where she is studying a double-degree in law and global studies at Otago uni, and plans to continue to play cricket.
