Foundation Backs Future Stars

Hamilton, who made her ODI debut for Australia last week, was awarded the Jodie Purves Young Cricketer Development Scholarship in 2019-20 while still at high school in Bundaberg.

Since 2014, a scholarship created by former Australian captain Jodie Purves has been awarded to a regional and rural female cricketer to support their cricket and education endeavours.

Supported by the Queensland Cricket Foundation, Townsville’s Brooke Morrish is the latest recipient of the scholarship.

The Queensland Under-19 allrounder was presented with a cheque for $5000 at a recent match for Western Suburbs, her Queensland Premier Cricket club when she plays in Brisbane.

Morrish, an off-spinner and batter, plays second grade and Under-17s in the men’s competition for Townsville Norths.

She is in Year 12 at Southern Cross Catholic College in Townsville.

As well as being a member of the Queensland Under-19 women’s team that won the national championships, she also represented the Queensland Country Brolgas in the Toyota Australian Country Women’s championship.

Purves, who played four Tests, 180 List A matches (with 67 ODIs) and 102 T20 games (featuring 37 T20Is) in her career, originally sourced and funded the Scholarship to support rural and regional female cricketers.

The Toowoomba product, who played 99 one day and 58 T20 games for her State, was the first Queensland woman to captain Australia when she took over from Karen Rolton in 2009.

She took Australia to a second successive ICC Women’s World Twenty20 title in 2012 in Sri Lanka and then led her team to the ICC Women’s World Cup triumph in India less than six months later.

Purves, a member of the Queensland Cricket Women’s Hall of Fame, said she was delighted to continue to partner with the QC Foundation and its many generous donors to deliver her scholarship.

“With women’s cricket continuing to grow in rapidly around the world, it’s very rewarding to be able to support one of our upcoming young players from regional Queensland,’’ she said.

“Brooke is a very worthy recipient of this year’s scholarship. I wish her every success as she finishes her schooling and prepares to take the next steps in her cricket journey.”

“It is incredibly rewarding to see Lucy Hamilton making her way into the Australian Team and very humbling to have played a small role in helping her achieve her goals.”

“I’m very thankful for the ongoing support of the Queensland Cricket Foundation as they invest in our future stars,” she said.

The Jodie Purves Young Cricketer Development Scholarship   has been backed in part by funding through a $3000 donation to the Queensland Cricket Foundation from the Brisbane Airport Corporation.

The Queensland Cricket Foundation exists to fundraise and invest in activity that makes cricket more accessible.

The JPYCD Scholarship aligns to the Foundation’s second pillar of its key aims, to support Female, Multicultural and All-Inclusive cricket programs.

In 2025, the Queensland Cricket Foundation has raised funds from the annual Summer of Cricket Lunch, the Ashes Test Lunch presented by Ponting Wines, Corporate Sponsorship Donations, match day raffles and Corporate Memberships.

Previous Scholarship holders include current WBBL Brisbane Heat and Queensland Fire players Charli Knott, and Bonnie Berry as well as Ruth Johnston (Qld & Hobart), Josie Dooley (SA & Renegades) and Amy Hunter (ACT) while last year’s winner Catherine White was called into the Fire squad earlier this season.

JPYCD Scholars List
2014-15 - Charli Knott (Mackay)
2015-16 - Josie Dooley (Brisbane)
2016-17 - Renee Irvine (Wondai)
2017-18 - Ruth Johnston (Toowoomba)
2018-19 - Stacy Rockliff (Townsville)
2019-20 - Bonnie Berry (Mackay)
2019-20 - Lucy Hamilton (Bundaberg)
2020-21 - Amy Hunter (Kairi - Atherton Tableland)
2021-22 - Grace Collins (Maryborough)
2022-23 - Mahli Rea (Boyne Island)
2023-24 – Tarah Staines (Monto)
2024-25 – Catherine White (Childers)
2025-26 – Brooke Morrish (Townsville)