Just hours after being presented with her cap by superstar Ellyse Perry, year-nine student Caoimhe Bray emulated the feats of her idol by smashing a match-winning boundary to seal a memorable Women’s Big Bash League debut for the Sydney Sixers.
Bray said she would celebrate with an ice cream with her parents after she took a wicket in her first over before finishing unbeaten on 12 from five deliveries in the Sixers’ three-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades on Sunday.
“It’s pretty cool,” Bray said on Channel Seven. “I wasn’t expecting for it to go that well. It literally is a dream come true. She [Perry] gave me my cap before the game and I was crying a little bit, maybe more than a little bit.”
Bray enters the record books as the youngest player in WBBL history at 15 years and 34 days – slightly younger than Annabel Sutherland was in 2016.
She attends St Pius X High School in Adamstown, Newcastle, and will have to complete year nine exams online while she remains in camp with the Sixers for the next few weeks.
Perry, who was already two years into her international career when Bray was born in 2009, described the youngster’s debut as a “fairytale” after Bray hit Sophie Molineux over cover to seal the Sixers’ pursuit of an imposing 179.
“I don’t think many 15-year-olds hit the ball for four over extra cover,” Perry told cricket.com.au.
“I think she’s just got it, whatever it is. I’m not sure, it’s hard to define, but you just see her even at training she has such a level head, she’s so eager to get better.
“She just wants to train and work hard, and then when she’s out in the middle she just wants to play, and she doesn’t worry about too much else.”
The comparisons to Perry are inevitable – and just not because of Bray’s cricketing prowess. The teenager is also an excellent soccer player, having made her international debut as a 14-year-old goalkeeper for the Junior Matildas earlier this year at the AFC Under 17 Women’s Asia Cup in Indonesia.
Caoimhe Bray after hitting the winning runs for the Sydney Sixers on Sunday night against the Melbourne Renegades.Credit: Getty Images
Perry juggled cricket and soccer commitments early in her career, having represented the Matildas before hanging up the boots. She debuted for Australia in cricket in 2007 against New Zealand in a one-day international, becoming the youngest player at 16 years and eight months to play for Australia.
Bray’s dream debut had looked as though it might end in disaster after she was handed the ball for her first over, with Renegades batter Deandra Dottin clubbing her for a six off delivery one before back-to-back fours put the youngster under real pressure.
However, Bray held her nerve and the last ball of her first over smashed into Dottin’s stumps.
“She bowled really well, too,” said Perry, who set up the win with 81 from 38 balls. “She’s a really special kid.”
While a stellar career beckons in cricket, Bray said earlier in the week she had no intention of giving up soccer just yet.
“I want to keep doing them both for as long as I can and I think this WBBL contract isn’t going to stop me from playing soccer,” she told News Corp.
“I’ve brought the soccer ball down, so I might go to the park or something and kick a ball around.”
The Sixers’ next WBBL match is against the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday at North Sydney Oval.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
