Record-setting teen follows in idol Perry's footsteps

Even though she also made her senior-level debut in India at just 15, Brisbane Heat's Shikha Pandey shook her head in disbelief upon seeing Sydney Sixers' Caoimhe Bray turn out for her maiden WBBL game at the same tender age on Sunday.

Bray emerged as the star of the season-opening Weber WBBL|10 double-header at Adelaide Oval, claiming a crucial wicket and scoring the winning runs for her Sydney Sixers as well as setting a new record as the competition's youngest-ever player.

Pandey and Bray were among a slew of debutants in the first-round fixture that also saw the Heat avenge last season's grand final loss to Adelaide Strikers at the same venue.

It was captain Ellyse Perry's blazing 81 from 38 balls that laid the Sixers' foundation before an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 32 from 14 balls between Bray and Sarah Bryce (36no off 25) saw the Sixers chase down Melbourne Renegades 8-178.

As was the case with Pandey who was instrumental in Brisbane's win, player of the match in the second game Perry couldn't hide her admiration for her teenage teammate Bray who regards herself as primarily a bowler who bats a bit at senior level.

"I don't think many 15-year-olds hit the ball for four over extra cover," Perry told cricket.com.au, referring to the nerveless shot Bray produced from the second delivery she faced at WBBL level.

"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.

"For her to not get overawed by playing against some of the best players in the world today is very special."

Bray – whose Gaelic Christian name is pronounced 'Keeva' – celebrated her 15th birthday 34 days ago and eclipsed the previous youngest WBBL debutant benchmark set by another 15-year-old Annabel Sutherland in 2016.

By comparison, the youngest player to appear in the men's domestic T20 competition was Queensland's Alister McDermott aged 17 years 211 days upon his debut in the previous state-based tournament in 2009.

Notwithstanding the vast difference in their respective playing experiences – 35-year-old Pandey played three Tests and more than 100 limited-overs internationals for India while Bray's most daunting prior challenge was her looming Year 9 school exams – there was a certain symmetry to their inaugural appearances.

Pandey might have claimed a wicket with her fourth ball in Heat colours if Grace Harris had hung on to a waist-high chance off Strikers international Laua Wolvaardt before she had scored.

But Pandey, who remains the only player hailing from the small coastal state of Goa to represent India in either men's or women's cricket, struck at the start of her next over to dismiss Wolvaardt and finished with a decisive 2-14 from her four overs.

Bray was met with a similarly imposing assignment when tossed the ball for the ninth over of the Sixers' bowling innings, with renowned West Indies power-hitter Deandra Dottin newly arrived at the crease and looking to up the tempo.

The teen, who earned her call-up through impressive form in the recent T20 Spring Challenge as well as a raft of injuries to the embattled Sixers, understandably dragged down her first delivery and was pumped for six over backward square leg.

But her comeback might have yielded a fairytale had the Sixers' Scottish wicketkeeper Bryce – deputising for sidelined Australia skipper, Alyssa Healy – hung onto a sharp chance to her right that instead rebounded to the rope.

Another scorching straight drive followed from Dottin, before Bray found her range and struck the veteran batter a blow on the knee before shattering the stumps with a pinpoint yorker from her sixth ball as a WBBL cricketer.

"I was pretty happy with that," Bray said at game's end, conceding her delight at being told by coach Charlotte Edwards she would be debuting had been overtaken by nerves come starting time.

"I don't know if I was going for a yorker or not, but it worked out and I was super-happy because the first few balls got a few runs off them, so I was happy I got something out of it."

Bray then received some reassuring words to "just do you, be yourself" from both Edwards and Perry in the dug-out before heading to the wicket with the Sixers 7-147 and needing 32 runs off 20 balls.

After skipping down the pitch to meet Alice Capsey's second delivery to her on the bounce and despatching it over extra cover for four, Bray then provided vital support for Bryce that belied her belief in her own batting.

"In younger age groups, in pathways, I do all right with the bat but I'm more of a bowler in high age groups," Bray said.

"When I went out there, I was quite nervous.

"Then I saw it was like five runs from eight balls, and I'm like 'all right, I didn't realise we were that close'.

"There isn't that big an expectation on me compared to those other top dogs (batters), so I just kind of went out there and gave it my best and it worked out pretty well."

Speaking after her key role in the Heat's redemption – her economy rate of 3.5 was the best of any bowler at Adelaide Oval on Sunday – Pandey expressed amazement at a 15-year-old such as Bray playing in such a high-level competition.

"I just played one tournament when I was 15, but I only started training to be a professional cricketer when I was 18," said Pandey, who would go on to combine her cricket with an engineering degree and then a career in the Indian Air Force.

"I was a late bloomer that way.

"I'm amazed at the age of 15 someone is playing a WBBL game because the standard here is so good.

"Even in my team there's a few youngsters, (18-year-old) Lucy Hamilton for example who has played at the Under-19 World Cup already.

"The multi-sport culture here is important and it really helps you as an athlete to become a better cricketer."

Just like her sporting idol and Sixers captain in their WBBL season opener, dual football and cricket international Perry, Bray is a shining example of the "multi-sport culture" to which Pandey referred.

As an aspiring soccer goalkeeper, Bray earned an international call-up for the Junior Matildas in this year's Under-17 Women's Asia Cup tournament in Indonesia and will doubtless face a choice of preferred sport once her schooling is completed.

But it will ideally be a much longer stretch before she finds herself confronted by a similar dilemma to Pandey who concedes she "fell out of love" with cricket after being overlooked for India's ODI World Cup squad two years ago.

Following correspondence with former Australia legend Belinda Clark and subsequent completion of Clark's leadership course, Pandey funded her own trip to Brisbane where she played with Premier Cricket club Wynnum-Manly paving the way for her WBBL debut.

Despite having 20 years and boundless more on-field experience than Bray, Pandey admits she too felt nervous when asked to open the bowling for the Heat against their fierce rivals.

"I was a bit anxious, but once I got the first ball going, I felt like I was okay," she told cricket.com.au after her debut appearance in front of a crowd of almost 4000, including a throng of appreciative Indian fans.

"I know that WBBL is good standard, it's probably on a par with international level so I just wanted to give my best shot to one of the best tournaments going around.

"I'm really happy, I've got a really good support staff and a very good captain.

"I just hope I can keep contributing to the team's cause."

As for Bray who will need to complete her Year 9 exams online as she remains in Sydney with the Sixers set-up instead of returning home to Newcastle, she's keeping her new matchwinner status in perspective with a suitably low-key celebration.

"I might go visit an ice cream shop or something like that tonight with mum and dad," she laughed.

Weber WBBL|10 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	10	7	3	0	0	0.527	0	14
2 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	10	7	3	0	0	0.384	0	14
3 Sydney Thunder Women THU	10	6	3	0	1	-0.002	0	13
4 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	10	5	5	0	0	0.189	0	10
5 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	10	4	5	1	0	-0.171	0	9
6 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	10	3	5	1	1	-0.477	0	8
7 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	10	3	6	0	1	-0.357	0	7
8 Melbourne Stars Women STA	10	2	7	0	1	-0.205	0	5

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points