One hundred and fifty years after an indigenous cricket team became the first Australian sporting side to tour outside the country, the Riverside player is the sole Tasmanian among two national teams replicating the historic trip.

Keeping wicket in a side led by Australia-contracted all-rounder Ash Gardener, Manix-Geeves hopes the experience will pay a fitting tribute to some Australian pioneers while also develop her blossoming cricket career.

“I’m having a ball over here,” the 17-year-old Launceston College student told The Examiner.

“All the girls are really great and we all get along really well which is good and it’s been really enjoyable so far.

“All the teams we’ve played against have been really lovely and I think they were really excited to get to be a part of this tour and a part of that legacy that we are over here creating.

“Everyone here is just so passionate about indigenous cricket and getting our stories out there which is great and I’m really learning a lot from everyone here.” 

Touring alongside a men’s team captained by Dan Christian, Manix-Geeves scored 21 in a 36-run loss to Surrey at the Oval, was run out cheaply in a 79-run loss to Sussex in Hove and did not bat in a huge win over the National Cricket Conference in Derby, where Gardner scored 129 not out.

“Our first two games weren’t our best, we started off slow in both and just couldn’t work our way back into the matches, which is unfortunate but that’s cricket. 

“But we got our first win when Ash went out and bopped a 100 which was incredible to watch and then I was lucky enough to get a few catches behind the stumps.

“Being around people like Ash has been a very valuable experience, to see how she goes about her cricket and preparation for a game has been really good and I’ll take away a lot from that.” 

The team’s final fixture is against the ECB Academy at Nottingham’s Test venue Trent Bridge.

The first female to play A-grade in the NTCA, Manix-Geeves has been on Cricket Tasmania’s radar for some time.

When the former Riverside High student returns home she will begin preparations for her debut WNCL season with the Tassie Tigers women’s team.

Also a talented footballer and member of Launceston’s TSLW premiership team last year, Manix-Geeves will complete her year 12 studies before moving to Hobart to begin her state contract.

Cricket Tasmania’s high performance talent manager Ben Rohrer has said Manix-Geeves was among the emerging local talent to benefit from the loss of international players like Irish all-rounder Isobel Joyce.