Nagambie powerhouse Kayla Shepherd shares her fruitful cricketing journey

Not many ladies around the Goulburn Valley have had the kinds of opportunities to hone their crafts over a period of almost two decades, as their male counterparts regularly take part in.

That wasn’t about to stop Shepherd, though, who rolled with every punch to prove herself on the precipice of a female boom in the sport.

Already fully immersed before ever picking up a bat on her own, it was naturally a family affair which first brought her into the Nagambie fold.

“My dad has played his whole life, and my pop did as well,” Shepherd said.

“My pop was probably the one who got me into it, but I had six brothers as well.

“Watching it and wanting to participate, and growing up around boys, was a big part of it.

“I was playing under-12s, but because of how short it was, I was playing under-16 at the same time just to play more.

“I think in Grade 5, my teacher saw I had some ability and got me some trials before I played, so I had some chances with rep cricket.”

Boy, did she ever take them.

Living in Euroa but playing in Nagambie, Shepherd had her choice of multiple representative regions, electing to follow the Hume Hwy to hone herself with the North East Knights.

No stranger to competing against older cohorts by that point, she would eventually land herself in the Bendigo district, where — in an all-girls team competing alongside all-boy outfits — she got her first taste of leadership.

“I was in an under-14 side out that way, and I captained them for three years,” Shepherd said.

“My mum’s cousin noticed me and asked if I wanted to come play there. I actually got my hours for my P-plates that way, just driving there and back.

“I made my highest score ever against those boys, 104 not-out, and I won the batting average when I was 14.”

No fear. That much, you can clearly tell.

It certainly paid off in spades as she aged up and the sun simultaneously started to rise on a more inclusive era for women in a playing space.

Perhaps peaking at the right time, Shepherd earned herself an opportunity which presented exceedingly rarely back then as the Women’s Big Bash League first got off the mark.

“About seven years ago, I played a trial match with the Stars just as an exhibition to showcase women’s talents,” Shepherd said.

“I was best-on, and I thought that might be a foot in the door, but there weren’t the same pathways back then.

“I think, with my batting style, I’m more aggressive and see-ball-hit-ball, and I can watch Test or one-day cricket with no worries, but the Big Bash is really exciting.

“I was disappointed nothing came of it, but I would have jumped at it 100 per cent.”

Nonetheless, Shepherd would toil away and bring her talents back to the red and black outfit she has called home ever since.

Nagambie has always brought its share of familiarity to not only her, but partner and fellow E-grader Jason Snelling plus her two younger cricket-playing brothers.

Having played more regularly in men’s competitions right up until the 2023-24 campaign, when the Lakers began to field their Goulburn Murray Cricket women’s side and her time became more evenly spent between the two, Shepherd has always embraced the environment.

Perhaps most poignantly, her greatest on-field success would come alongside family at a time where — to slightly twist a popular phrase — she was ‘playing for two’.

“I’ve always played men’s cricket. I’ve been at Nagambie as well as Rushworth,” Shepherd said.

“I won a grand final (at Rushworth), and I was 12 weeks’ pregnant at the time we won that.

“Coming back from having kids, I’ve still got that outlet and Jason is amazing letting me do whatever I want in sport.

“My two youngest brothers are a great support, and you notice that a lot more when you’ve got kids; they make it easy to be around the game.”

Now 29, there’s no question that the formation of this women’s outfit has fully engaged her in the pure enjoyment aspect of the game as well.

Hand-picked to help lead the burgeoning side as its keeper, Shepherd — despite her typically competitive nature — revels in pure enthusiasm.

“There were some women who never got the opportunity to play, and they’re here just to enjoy it,” Shepherd said.

“There’s no ‘mean girls’ kind of thing either. I’ve played netball and women’s footy, and there’s always been those types of groups around.

“I really think just genuinely being happy is part of it. It’s just so much support, and I can get a bit hot-headed with my expectations, but they keep me level-headed.

“In the men’s games, I sometimes worry if they see me as an easy wicket and I go out there wanting to make runs to show them girls can do it, but I’m just comfortable here.

“We always want to win, but there’s no ill-feeling. Blair (Taylor-Lloyd) told me I might be a good fit to come and show the girls some cricket, and it’s the most comfortable team I’ve ever played in.”