Ipswich Hornets are thrilled to welcome Melissa Lewis to the club as Female Director of Coaching.

Ipswich Hornets are thrilled to welcome Melissa Lewis to the club as Female Director of Coaching. Melissa has not only represented Queensland at the Second XI level but has also coached at various youth levels and led South Brisbane to consecutive premierships, a feat she considers a career highlight.

Among her career accomplishments, Melissa captained QLD to two national youth titles and made a remarkable return to the game at 31, representing QLD Country after a ten-year hiatus.

When asked about some players to keep an eye out for, Melissa highlighted two promising young bowlers, “Erin Moran from Ipswich and Felicity Koch from Toowoomba, along with Rebecca Burns from New Zealand, who won Batter of the Year for Wellington last season, as part of the team.”

Melissa's decision to join the Hornets was influenced by the sentiment of returning to the club she started with as a 13-year-old under it’s original name, Beenleigh-Logan Cutters.

When asked about her love for cricket, Melissa said “I enjoy the game's fundamental challenge of outlasting the opposition. While the game has evolved a lot, its core essence remains the same. I find intrigue in the fact that the best players aren't always the ones who rack up runs and wickets, but often the smartest and strategic ones.”

On the topic of T20 Max, Melissa shared her perspective “T20 Max is pre-season competition designed for professionals. Since Ipswich doesn't have local professionals, I find it challenging to predict its impact on our squad. Nonetheless, I view T20 Max as a beneficial concept for professionals to get quality pre-season preparation while giving local first graders a taste of elite competition.