Flying the flag for the South West, Dardandup cricket volunteers honour national anthem at Ashes test

As the national anthems were sung ahead of the first Ashes test at Perth Stadium, two lucky volunteers from the South West were standing on the field with some of the world’s best players. Leila Cooper and Sean Child were amongst the Australian flag bearers invited by WA Cricket to represent the Dardanup Cricket Club. Cooper is the junior cricket coordinator of the club and Child is president. Both were invited because of their involvement with the Cricket Blast program in the past six years. “To be there in person on the ground in such a massive sporting moment was surreal,” Cooper said. “Being able to represent our small country club on that stage, I was honoured and felt appreciated for all those years of volunteering. “Standing behind the players as they walk onto the field, hearing the whole stadium sing our national anthem, the roar of the crowd when the ceremony was over, all of these moments I well never forget. “Our little club, our little logo on our shirt made visible to the world, was something you never think would ever happen.” Cooper started the Cricket Blast program in Dardanup after contacting the local WA cricket manager due to the limited sporting opportunities available. “My initial drive was to give my child and his school friends the fun of cricket and learn some ball skills along the way,” she told the Times. “A few years later I decided to keep it going so our little club can have its own junior cricket team. “My son is now playing his second year as a junior cricketer and I still run the Blast program. I do this still because I see how happy all the kids are when they are out there having a go.” Child said it was an amazing opportunity to be one of the six country clubs holding the flag. “It’s hard to comprehend until you are out in the middle with 50,000 spectators watching and so many more around the world,” he said. “I was really trying to soak of much of it in as possible. It was a huge win for country cricket.” Child started helping Cooper with the Blast program this year. “Watching the progression of our next-generation cricketers coming through, and to see the passion still very much alive for the game, has been a rewarding experience,” he said. “It feels like a family — coaches, parents, volunteers, and players show up because they care. There’s this shared belief in giving kids a positive, supportive entry into cricket.”