Sixteen-year-old Caoimhe Bray is taking it all in her stride, after reminding everyone why she's considered one of the country's most exciting young dual-sport talents
Sixers' hat-trick hero Bray puts WBBL on notice
Caoimhe Bray typically keeps her cricket mementos in a box in the garage - but the ball she used to collect her first Big Bash hat-trick might just get some special treatment.
Bray, already regarded as one of the most exciting young players in Australian cricket, sent a reminder of just why she is so highly rated on Saturday night when she became the seventh player to take a WBBL hat-trick – even if she did not realise it immediately.
When the 16-year-old had Thunder batter Laura Harris caught by a diving Erin Burns at backward point from the second ball of the ninth over at Drummoyne Oval, she was simply stoked to have dismissed one of the game's most powerful hitters for a golden duck, after bowling Anika Learoyd with a superb delivery a ball earlier.
She, and her teammates, had all forgotten she removed Australia star Phoebe Litchfield with the final ball of her previous over, only realising she had taken a hat-trick when it was announced over the loudspeaker.
Close-up vision of Bray mouthing 'hat-trick?!' quickly went viral and in the immediate aftermath of the game, the allrounder said it was still sinking in.
"It was literally over the (loud)speaker, I heard them say that, and all the girls were like, 'Oh my God' and I seriously couldn't believe it," Bray said following Saturday's game.
"It's pretty crazy, as you could tell, probably by the reactions, I didn't realise I had a hat-trick.
"It was really exciting, and I'm glad we got away with the win.
"I normally just put (mementos) in a box, really, and put it in the garage, but maybe I'll put (this ball) on a little stand on my cupboard – we'll see."
Bray didn't bowl in the Sixers' tournament opener, with a bevy of quicks all vying for opportunity, but she impressed as the fourth-change bowler against the Hurricanes on Thursday, picking up the wickets of England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Heather Graham.
She then seized the chance when told she would take the ball in the Powerplay in the Sydney Smash.
The Sixers were hunting early wickets after posting a below-par 9-142, and Bray's four scalps – she later picked up the wicket of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu to become the youngest player to complete a four-wicket haul in the WBBL – were decisive as the Thunder were restricted to 8-118.
"It's cool getting out those, I guess you could say, big dogs – but you can't let that get in your head too much," Bray said following Saturday's match.
"It was pretty crazy ... Ash (Gardner) told me before the game I might be (bowling) in the third over, so I guess it's a bit nerve wracking.
"I had Ash and (Lauren Cheatle) up against me the whole of my bowling innings, pretty much, and they're two of the calmest people you'll ever meet.
"Just having them at the top of your mark and just saying, 'You got this, keep doing your thing' … it's really relaxing going into bowl, knowing that they back you."
Bray became the youngest player in WBBL history when she debuted for the Sixers aged 15 in the opening game of WBBL|10, and now 16, she has already represented Australia's Under-19s.
A dual-sport athlete, Bray is also a talented goalkeeper who has represented the Young Matildas.
She and her family relocated from Denman, in the Upper Hunter Region of New South Wales, to Newcastle last year, to help Bray pursue her twin sporting loves.
Cricket has been quick to stake a claim, with Bray signing a three-year contract with the Sixers last season before being handed a rookie deal with New South Wales Breakers for 2025-26.
For now, she is content to keep juggling both, but speaking on air following Saturday's game, the allrounder acknowledged the time would eventually come where she would have to pick one of cricket or soccer.
"I want to do sport for as long as I can, and I hope to play like professionally for as long as I can and try to do that as my career," Bray said.
"If I can keep doing this, hopefully it works out.
"(A choice) will definitely have to come ... sports, especially women's sports, are getting so much more professional these days.
"So if you want to go to the highest level, you can't be doing (both) forever."
The Sixers meanwhile moved to second spot on the table following their win over the Thunder, having won two of their three games so far this season.
With new captain Ashleigh Gardner and coach Matthew Mott leading their new era, the club is eyeing their first finals appearance since WBBL|08.
"One, to get a win over the Thunder in the Sydney Smash is huge," Sixers allrounder Maitlan Brown said on Saturday.
"But also coming off the back of a loss on Thursday, we really needed to get the win to kick start the momentum again, and we're definitely going to take a lot of confidence from this game."
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HUR
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.662 | 0 | 15 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.313 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.132 | 0 | 12 |
|
4
STA
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.629 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
REN
|
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.121 | 0 | 10 |
|
6
STR
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.077 | 0 | 9 |
|
7
THU
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.124 | 0 | 9 |
|
8
HEA
|
10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | -0.869 | 0 | 1 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points