Double delight for WA

A Karratha couple have made history by becoming the first to ever be selected from the Pilbara to represent the State for indoor cricket.

Travis Scoop will take part in the Cricket Australia National Indoor Cricket Masters in Darwin in May.

Scoop started playing indoor cricket when he was 11 and has kept it up for 26 years.

He said he was selected based on his form at a trial session in Perth earlier this year.

Scoop said he was proud to have been selected to play for his State.

“It’s an achievement for all the years I’ve played indoor cricket and cricket, and I’ve been rewarded to be able to play against the best of every State now,” he said.

“Then, after this, if you want to play for Australia, you get the chance to put your hand up.

“That’s another big step, but that’s my goal.”

Scoop said the speed of the game was one of the biggest differences between indoor and outdoor cricket.

“Your skill level and reflexes have to be quick, and it’s over in an hour and a half,” he said.

To get to Darwin, Scoop will be driving with players expected to book their flights to get to the venue.

“Indoor Sports WA sort out our uniforms, then we have to buy that from them, and then they sort out our accommodation, which we pay a fee to them and Cricket Australia,” he said.

Scoop will be joined on the trip by his partner, Tanya Iannello, who was selected to be one of the three sports trainers for the team. Iannello, who has been a sports trainer for more than 25 years, said she was proud to be selected for the state.

“It means I get to look after Travis as a sports trainer,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful thing that I get not only the pride of getting him to play for the State, but I get to represent the State as well.

“There’s so much pride for us to represent the Pilbara. Never before has a player been selected from the region.

“We would like to encourage other players to try out.”