Tigers recruit embraces unusual balancing act

Sara Kennedy’s first pre-season with Tasmania looks slightly different to that of her new teammates, but the rising left-arm quick is embracing her trans-Bass Strait balancing act.

Kennedy, who turns 18 next month, is still completing Year 12 in her native Victoria and has remained there to finish her studies since signing her first state contract with the Tigers earlier this year.

The recent school holidays gave Kennedy a chance to fly down to Hobart and spend valuable time in the Tasmania set-up, and Tigers captain Elyse Villani is excited about what the teenager can add to the state’s pace attack.

"She is a long-term project, but she's also in the short-term plans as well," Villani said.

"She's only 17, but at the end of the day, Jude (Coleman) and the coaching staff wouldn't have signed her if they didn't feel like she could make an immediate impact.

"She's already played at the Big Bash level, she's already played at WNCL, so it's not like we don't know what she's capable of ... she's proven to stand up in difficult situations."

As a rare left-arm quick, Kennedy will add variety to Tasmania’s attack, while also increasing their depth - alongside fellow recruit Courtney Sippel - following pace-bowling allrounder Heather Graham’s return to Western Australia.

"She's a left-armer, she can bowl the new ball, she's a point of difference," Villani continued.

"She's been a great addition to the group. (When she's) down here full time, I have no doubt that we see her flourish even more this summer."

Kennedy, who hails from Skipton in south-west Victoria, made her WBBL debut aged 16 for Melbourne Renegades in WBBL|09, playing 11 matches, and was again picked up by the club as a replacement player last season, but did not manage to break into their XI.

She was just eight years old when the WBBL was launched in 2015-16, and grew up watching the likes of Villani, Nicola Carey and Lizelle Lee on TV.

Presented with the chance to call them teammates, she leapt at the chance to sign with Tasmania, where she will relocate once her final exams are completed.

"(Tasmania) had a connection camp about two-and-a-half weeks ago, so I missed the last three or four days of school and came down for that," Kennedy said.

"Then we had school holidays, so I've been down for nearly three weeks now.

"I've never really been full time around a professional cricket environment before, so being down for three weeks has really given me a bit of insight into how that will work.

"I promise I am (still) studying a little bit ... it's definitely been a balancing act."