Caoimhe Bray stuns in Sixers debut as youngest to play WBBL

Sydney Sixers young gun Caoimhe Bray has gone down in history as the youngest to play in the WBBL* after making her debut* at Adelaide Oval against the Melbourne Renegades on Sunday.

At just 15 years of age, Caoimhe claimed the prized wicket* of West Indian Deandra Dottin and struck the winning runs* in the opening round triumph over the Renegades to announce her place on the big stage.

“When I got out on the field my heart was racing a bit,” Caoimhe said.

“I got the ball quite a bit in the field so that calmed me down. My first WBBL game, first win, it can’t get any better.”

Caoimhe was called up to join the Sixers after several of the Twenty20* team’s key players were struck down by injury.

After her first ball was belted for six by Dottin, Caoimhe said she was thinking, “Oh, no”. She then had to accept a couple of fours and a wide in her only over, before bowling the dangerous Renegades’ batter with a terrific yorker*.

“After that first ball I was thinking, ‘I can warm up and it will be all right’,” she said.

“I did not know if my final ball was going to be a yorker, but it worked out and I’m super happy with that.”

Caoimhe said Sixers captain Ellyse Perry, fielding at mid off, had kept her “chilled” with constant chat.

The Sixers were under the pump at 7/147 when Caoimhe joined Scottish wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce at the crease*. Caoimhe’s first scoring shot was a four and she finished with 12 runs from five balls, including a boundary*, to get the Sixers home.

“I was a bit nervy going out to bat, but there were not big expectations on me compared to the other top dogs,” Caoimhe said.

Asked if she would be at school tomorrow, Caoimhe responded: “I wish”. Then quickly added, “No, I don’t.”

The youngest of six children, Caoimhe lives in Newcastle, but will stay in Sydney with the Sixers and continue her schooling online.

It’s not just cricket Caoimhe has excelled at from an early age. The Year 9 student has also represented Australia in underage soccer as a goalkeeper.

When asked how she would celebrate her historic debut, Caoimhe said she planned to go out for ice-cream with her parents.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• WBBL: Women’s Big Bash League, the Australian women’s domestic Twenty20 cricket competition featuring eight city based teams
• debut: first time playing
• wicket: when a bowler hits the wicket behind the batter with the ball and gets the batter out
• winning runs: the runs, scored by the number of times the batter runs between wickets, that won the game
• Twenty20: a type of cricket game in which each team has a single innings made up of no more than 20 overs
• yorker: a ball bowled that hits the pitch close to the batter’s feet
• crease: certain areas marked out by white lines, there is the bowling crease, the popping crease and the return creases
• boundary: a shot that reaches or passes over the boundary rope, which runs the perimeter of the field

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QUICK QUIZ
1. How old is Caoimhe Bray?
2. Why did she get selected for the Sydney Sixers?
3. What were some of her highlights from the game?
4. Which team won the match?
5. Which other sport has Caoimhe excelled in?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Sport professionals
Do you think 15-years-old is too young to be playing professional sport with adults, or do you think if you’re good enough at any sport you can compete against the best?

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages for young athletes to be competing at the top level at any sport from a young age?

Young Sporting Professionals:
ADVANTAGES                           DISADVANTAGES

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
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2. Extension
What sort of extra support would the Sydney Sixers management have to put in place when travelling with a 15-year-old on the team?
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Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

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