Queensland Cricket today announced a 15-player Fire squad for the coming summer, with 27-year-old Cooke making the switch from the Meteors after previously being a contracted player with the WBBL Brisbane Heat for the past two seasons.
A right-arm medium fast bowler, she hit her maiden WNCL century last season, with her knock of 114 almost grabbing a remarkable win for the Meteors over NSW.
Cooke, who overcame a serious back injury early in her playing days, has produced career best efforts with bat and ball over the past two seasons and was named this year in the Cricket ACT Female Team of the Century.
She will be joined by a trio of exciting young players who have emerged from regional Queensland in recent years.
Australian Under-19 allrounder Sianna Ginger, originally from Townsville, will be joined by her Valley Premier Cricket teammate Kira Holmes in the squad, while Emerald pace bowler Bonnie Berry has also earned her first professional contract.
The 20-year-old Holmes, from Allora on the Darling Downs, made her Fire debut in the Women’s National Cricket League last season after being stand-out in the Katherine Raymont Shield first grade competition.
Holmes, who is also a wicket-keeper, was a member of the Queensland Under-19 squad that won the national titles in 2021.
Before concentrating on cricket, she was a competitive campdrafter and equestrian competitor.
Berry, 17, is a Queensland Under-19 representative who has also played for the Queensland Country Brolgas women's team at the Toyota Australian Country championships.
The right-arm pace bowler began playing as an eight-year-old and was the 2020 recipient of the Jodie Purves Young Cricketer Development Scholarship which is presented annually by the former Queensland and Australian captain and supported by the Queensland Cricket Foundation.
Ginger performed solidly at the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa at the start of the year, taking figures of 3-13 in World Cup games against England and India as Australia made the semi-finals.
The 17-year-old allrounder went on to make her WNCL debut for the Fire on her return from the tournament scoring a pair of 30s against South Australia.
Players dropping off the contract list from last season include pace bowler Georgia Prestwidge, who informed Queensland Cricket she would be moving interstate in 2023-24, and wicket-keeper Caitlin Mair.
Fire captain Jess Jonassen and star allrounder Grace Harris both received Cricket Australia contracts last month.
2023-24 Queensland Fire Squad
CA Contracted
Jess Jonassen (CA)
Grace Harris (CA)
State Contracted
Bonnie Berry (NEW)
Zoe Cooke (NEW)
Sianna Ginger (NEW)
Lucy Hamilton
Nicola Hancock
Laura Harris
Mikayla Hinkley
Kira Holmes (NEW)
Ellie Johnston
Ruth Johnston
Charli Knott
Grace Parsons
Georgia Redmayne
Courtney Sippel
Georgia Voll
In: Bonnie Berry, Zoe Cooke, Sianna Ginger, Kira Holmes
Out: Georgia Prestwidge, Caitlin Mair.
