Renegade recruit: Teen's journey to a shock debut

Picture this: You are 17 years old, sitting at home on a regular Saturday evening, when your phone rings.

It’s Melbourne Renegades head coach Simon Helmot… and he says you have been selected in the squad for the next day’s match in Ballarat.

Fast forward to 3pm on Sunday and you are making your Weber WBBL debut, standing behind the stumps, about to keep wicket to the game's fastest bowler Shabnim Ismail with Alyssa Healy on strike.

That was Paris Bowdler’s reality this weekend, when the uncontracted teenager was a last-minute addition to the squad to play Sydney Sixers at Eastern Oval in place of regular ‘keeper Josie Dooley, who has missed the Renegades’ last three matches with a hip complaint.

Fortunately for Bowdler, her mum was available to drive her from Geelong to Ballarat on Sunday morning.

But even then, she had not been expecting to play; the Renegades already had a back-up ‘keeper in Erica Kershaw, who had played the previous two matches.

"I’m still coming back down to earth," Bowdler said after the match, admitting she had been full of nerves going into the game.

"I wasn’t expecting it to be this soon, maybe in a few years.

"I wasn’t expecting to be keeping (either), I got told maybe I might play but not that I’d keep.

"It was certainly an experience, but really good."

Renegades staff members made a last-minute dash to Melbourne on Sunday morning to have Bowdler’s name printed on her playing shirt before Rhiann O’Donnell presented her cap shortly before the bat flip.

When skipper Sophie Molineux won the flip and chose to field, Bowdler was immediately thrust into the action.

While Bowdler was not part of the Renegades’ 15-player contract list at the start of WBBL|08, she was familiar with Helmot and her new teammates after taking part in a practice match against the Stars before the start of the season.

She had come to the attention of Helmot and team management after taking part in the inaugural female edition of ‘Renegades Recruit’ earlier this year.

The program, which aired on 7plus and aims to uncover Victoria’s best up-and-coming talent, saw 11 players from across the state compete for a chance to win the chance to develop their cricket with the Renegades.

Over the course of two episodes, the squad was whittled down to a final three, before a public vote determined the winner.

Bowdler impressed enough to make that top three, and crucially, ensured she was front of mind when Helmot was pondering replacement players.

"I wasn't expecting to do in the first place but my coach at Prahan said I should go for it because might open up some opportunities, and obviously now it has," she said.

Tickets for Weber WBBL and KFC BBL games are on sale now. Get yours at cricket.com.au/big-bash