Teen Sensation Stuns WBBL With Unforgettable Hat-Trick
Sydney Sixers' rising star Caoimhe Bray created a stunning WBBL moment on Saturday when the 16-year-old from Hunter region took a completely unexpected hat-trick against cross-town rivals Thunder. The teenage prodigy needed to be informed by the ground announcer that she'd achieved the rare feat, with both Bray and her teammates initially unaware of the mathematical significance of her three consecutive wickets.
How The Hat-Trick Unfolded
The remarkable sequence began when Bray claimed a wicket with the final delivery of her second over at Sydney's Drummoyne Oval. The young bowler then returned to complete the hat-trick by taking wickets with the first two balls of her following over. The third and decisive wicket came thanks to an exceptional diving catch at point by teammate Erin Burns, whose athletic effort secured Bray's place in WBBL history.
"It's pretty crazy... I didn't realise; one of those weird ones that was at the end of the over," Bray admitted after the match. The excitement surrounding Burns' spectacular catch apparently distracted everyone from recognizing the hat-trick achievement until the stadium announcement clarified what had just occurred.
Bray's All-Round Dominance Continues
The hat-trick formed part of an outstanding individual performance that saw Bray finish with impressive figures of 4-15 from her four overs. Her contribution proved crucial in restricting Thunder to 8-118 while chasing the Sixers' total of 9-142. This isn't the first time the multi-talented athlete has made headlines - she previously hit the winning runs as a 15-year-old during her WBBL debut last season and took a spectacular catch earlier in this tournament.
Bray's sporting talents extend beyond cricket, as she also serves as goalkeeper for the Junior Matildas football team. When asked about her future, she acknowledged that women's sport is becoming increasingly professional and that eventually she'll need to choose between her two sporting passions. "I want to play sport professionally for as long as I can," Bray stated. "If you want to go to the highest level, you can't be doing that forever."
Sixers Secure Derby Bragging Rights
The Sixers' victory was built on solid batting contributions from Sophie Dunkley, who scored 43 runs from 35 deliveries, and Mady Villiers who remained not out on 24. Captain Alyssa Healy threatened to dominate with 26 from just 15 balls before her dismissal. Maitlan Brown supported Bray's bowling heroics with 2-18 from her allotted overs on a night that generally favoured the bowlers.
However, the victory came with concern for New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr, who suffered a quad injury during warm-ups and was forced to withdraw from the match. The Sixers await scan results to determine the severity of her injury.
For Thunder, 18-year-old debutante Lucy Finn provided a lone bright spot with an unbeaten 49 from 34 deliveries and also claimed the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner. Despite Finn's efforts, Thunder collapsed to 7-49 during their run chase, leaving them winless after three matches alongside Brisbane Heat.
Hurricanes Maintain Perfect Start
In Saturday's earlier match, Hobart Hurricanes continued their strong start to the season with a 16-run victory over Brisbane Heat in another rain-affected contest. Opener Lizelle Lee smashed an unbeaten 59 from 45 balls, including six boundaries and three sixes, either side of a weather delay that reduced the innings to 12 overs.
The Hurricanes powered to 1-114, with Danielle Wyatt-Hodge contributing 44 from 26 deliveries in a 106-run opening partnership with Lee. Brisbane's target was adjusted to 125 according to Duckworth-Lewis method, but they finished at 9-108 despite Grace Harris' 28 from 21 balls and a last-ball six from Sianna Ginger.
Heather Graham (2-25) and Nicola Carey (2-10) proved particularly effective for Hobart, who now sit atop the WBBL ladder with three consecutive victories while Brisbane searches for their first win of the tournament.
