A Brisbane Heat star on the rise has been recognised for the outstanding start she has made to her career
Teenage prodigy claims WBBL|11 Young Gun award
Left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton has capped a stellar season for Brisbane Heat by winning the Weber WBBL|11 Young Gun award.
Hamilton led the Heat's bowling attack at the age of just 19, taking eight wickets in a trying campaign for her side who ended the season without a win.
Along the way, Hamilton added the wickets of Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney to her collection, furthering her claims for a spot in the national side in the not-too-distant future.
Former men's Test bowler Trent Copeland is one pundit who can foresee Australian selection just around the corner.
"By the end of the summer, when we have a women's Test in Perth, Lucy Hamilton might well be in that squad," Copeland told 7Cricket last month.
"Big call, but I think she's that good.
"Health permitting, body permitting, and the progress we saw the last 12 months, a left-armer at that height with that pace and that skill, they're nowhere in the world."
Hamilton's path to the top is beyond reproach. She was the second youngest player to debut for Queensland in the WNCL era back in 2022, debuted for the Heat in WBBL|08, became the youngest player to take a WBBL five-for in WBBL|10, and this year captained Australia at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
By winning the Young Gun award – for players aged 21 or under during the tournament, as chosen by the national selection panel – Hamilton follows in the footsteps of several current Aussie stars, including the likes of Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown and Phoebe Litchfield.
In other WBBL awards announced on Monday, Melbourne Stars opener Meg Lanning received the BKT Golden Bat for her chart-topping 430 runs at an average of 53.75, including a career-best 135 from just 74 deliveries against Sydney Sixers.
It's the third time Lanning has won the award, nudging out Danni Wyatt-Hodge (416 runs) and Beth Mooney (395 runs).
The BKT Golden Arm award was taken home by Melbourne Renegades gun Georgia Wareham, who spun her way to 19 wickets at 10.94, marking her finest WBBL campaign yet.
Wareham finished three wickets ahead of fellow spinners Sophie Day (16) and Ashleigh Gardner (16).
The WBBL|11 Player of the Tournament will be announced on Wednesday, and the WBBL|11 Team of the Tournament will be named on Thursday.
With the regular season complete, the attention now turns to the three WBBL|11 Finals. The ladder-leading Hobart Hurricanes are set to host the Final at Ninja Stadium on Saturday night.
WBBL|11 finals schedule
The Knockout: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, WACA Ground (Tuesday, December 9, 7.45pm AEDT)
The Challenger: Sydney Sixers v winner of The Knockout, North Sydney Oval (Thursday, December 11, 7.15pm AEDT)
The Final: Hobart Hurricanes v winner of The Challenger, Ninja Stadium (Saturday, December 13, 7.15pm AEDT)