The Rail to be proudly represented at the Indigenous Festival of Cricket

Carlie Gilly and Iriaka Ross will line up for the Sydney Thunder and Sixers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sides respectively this Friday, February 2 at the brand new Artie Smith Oval.

Shoalhaven Council and the Cricket NSW Foundation will co-host the day, which will include both a men's and women's T20 match, as well as an Indigenous youth cricket program.

For the likes of Gilly and Ross, who play for the unbeaten Rail ladies side in the South Coast cricket competition, it is a great honour.

"It's really exciting," Gilly said.

"I have only been playing cricket for three years despite being around it my entire life with my dad and my brothers and family. But to play with people that love the Indigenous culture who want to share that means everything to me.

"I'm proud of my culture, I'm proud of where I came from and I just think being around other women in cricket and in sports that share the same culture, it's just so wholesome to me.

"I think it's fantastic. I think all involved should really give themselves a bit of a pat on the back for making such a great day. To combine women's cricket and the growth of that with culture as well, and allowing community to have an opportunity to showcase talent and to come down and be a part of such a great day is so good."

Gilly has been unstoppable for her club of late. With 230 runs, she is the competition and club's leading scorer. But most impressively, she is yet to record an average this season, because she has not been dismissed once.

It's a pretty impressive record for someone who only started playing the game three years ago.

"We're on top of the table at the moment and we're undefeated," Gilly continued.

"I'm leading the run scorers in the South Coast comp which is great and I want to keep that up. There's some really strong people in the comp this year and it only pushes me to try and be better.

"It's great and I'm really excited to see how big it can get in the future."

Meanwhile for Ross, she will back up in Bomaderry after playing a key role at the recent Goldfield Ashes in far North Queensland with Garbutt Magpies.

"I've just come back from far North Queensland and I'm proud to be representing my mob in the Illawarra but also both mobs," she said.

"The Indigenous Festival of Cricket has been around for a while, I've just never been able to nominate for it. This time I was able to put my name forward for the team and I'm glad I've made the selection.

"I've always been passionate about cricket most of my life, just from backyard cricket and more or less trying to show up our brothers. I come from a big family and the girls are always trying to outdoor the boys.

"But I'm just gracious to be considered for selection."

The first ball of the women's Sixers versus Thunder match will be bowled at 1:30pm this Friday.