TRAFALGAR’S NICOLE FALTUM KNOCKS ‘EM FOR SIX

TO HER MATES, SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN JUST ‘NIC’. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH THE BOYS AT THE TRAFALGAR CRICKET CLUB. BUT TO THE REST OF AUSTRALIA, SHE’S ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING TALENTS IN WOMEN’S CRICKET.

Nicole Faltum is a Gippsland girl through and through. Despite her already long list of cricketing achievements at the age of just 22, the right-handed batter and wicket keeper loves nothing more than coming home to Traf and being with family and friends.

“I very rarely get time to head back home, but whenever I do it’s one of my favourite things to do, and I make sure I go and see the family and reenergise and get a bit of a kick for it again, which is always really good,” Nicole said.

The reason she doesn’t head home that often is her ever-growing list of cricketing commitments.

“I play for three teams over the duration of the season, so I obviously have my club team Dandenong Cricket Club every weekend, the WBBL – I play for the Melbourne Stars that’s a two-month commitment, and state games in and around.”

Like most Aussie girls with brothers, Nicole grew up playing cricket ‘all the time’. In fact, any time she could get out and play something competitive, she did.

“When I was younger, I played any sport under the sun. Anything that I could, I would always play. And because the boys always played, I would literally just go and watch them and be dragged along every single week to wherever they’d go and then eventually I got sick of watching and wanted to play myself. So, I just fielded a few times for my brothers when they needed.

“It wasn’t until I got into school and some of my mates played, that I just wanted to play with them. And then I joined Trafalgar Cricket Club and that’s where I first started playing my cricket.”

Country cricket clubs are a fertile breeding ground for talent. But not so much if you’re female. It means playing with the boys for the better part of your underage years.

“I just played all my underage cricket for Trafalgar Cricket Club, so I played under 14s and under 16 boys. And then I was lucky enough to play for Gippsland in the women’s team, so in the underage competition there."

"And from there I got selected to play in underage State Championships. So, I played a year of under 15s for Victoria and then under 18s for Victoria. And then when I was in year 11, I got my first professional contract which was pretty cool.”

It was an incredible achievement, but one the humble sporting star didn’t trumpet to her friends.

“I’m not really sure if they understood it to the full extent. I think the nice thing is they just knew me as Nic, and while I played cricket, that’s just what I did, I don’t think they really understood the commitment and some of the sacrifices I had to make. I remember just even on weekends, weeknights and school days I had to give up a lot at quite a young age to try and do it. I’m glad I made those sacrifices because I wouldn’t be in the position I am now.”

Supremely talented with both the bat and gloves, Nicole sets a high standard for herself, which she continues to surpass. Her form in 2022 and 2023 has been exceptional. She was named in Australia’s A squad for the series against England A in January last year, and in October she became the youngest captain in the WBBL.

“It’s never something that I really thought that I would do growing up. I loved just being myself and playing, but I never saw myself as a captain, if I’m being honest. I guess as I was going through the ranks and being involved in the teams I have been for quite a while, a few people had mentioned it to me when I was a bit younger."