Maddie Penna's hard work pays off as ACT Meteors regroup for WNCL

The 19-year-old battled back from major knee surgery to force her way into the ACT XI as an uncontracted player.

She was a revelation following a shock call-up to the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL.

Those are the by-products of hard work, and now a host of rookie will get a chance to follow in her footsteps as the Meteors prepare for three games against Thailand in Canberra over the coming week ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup.

A host of rookies will join the squad for two games on Thursday - provided the smoke haze clears and it is deemed safe to play -before the Meteors field a full-strength side for a third game on Monday.

"[Penna] just shows, no matter who you are or what you want, if you put in the hard work, it's going to pay off," Drew said.

"It might not pay off next week or the week after, but people always notice people who train hard and do the right things away from the pack rather than just while the coaches are watching.

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"It's really pleasing, because she has had to do that work pretty much by herself being up in Sydney and not being contracted.

"She has taken the bit between the teeth and run with it."

Erica Kershaw's return to Canberra on Friday will give the Meteors the final piece of the puzzle as they reset their sights on a maiden WNCL title.

The first of the Meteors' final six games comes against the NSW Breakers at Hurstville Oval on January 6, before they finish the season with four home games on the trot.

But first the WNCL side will be split into four and link up with the region's best grade players for Cricket ACT's Twenty20 Female Bash beginning this weekend.

Four teams - Northern Frenzy, Southern Pride, Eastern Fever and Penna's Western Crash - will contest the tournament with the final coming under lights at Phillip Oval on January 17.

"It's a really big thing for female cricket in the region. It shows the willingness of Cricket ACT to bring on the youngsters," Drew said as he prepares to take the Fever reins.

"We've had 15 or so of them every week for the past couple of weeks while the girls have been away, putting some work into them and we've trained them at Manuka.

"They've had contact with high performance coaches and they have also been in the gym. We're trying to give them as much as we possibly can.

"These girls are the future of the program, so we're making their transition into the Meteors as seamless as possible."

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"It also gives some other girls from club cricket, from up and down the coast and inland, an opportunity to play against the Meteors and quality opposition."

A host of Canberra young guns are bracing for a triple-header this weekend with the opening day of the Female Bash followed by a Cricket NSW Regional Bash clash.

The ACT Aces will face the Border Bullets at Chisholm Oval on Sunday. The winner will advance to a semi-final against the Illawarra Flames at the SCG on January 21.