WBBL 2024 – 15-year-old Caoimhe Bray admits ‘super cool’ comparisons with Ellyse Perry

“No, I love it,” she said ahead of her debut, where she took the wicket of Deandra Dottin and scored the winning runs. “Ellyse Perry has definitely been an idol of mine since I was very little. I think if you ask all my elementary school friends, every school project was about her, that’s for sure. I don’t It sounds like it’s scary or scary to be compared to him, but it’s overwhelming because he’s a great person and I love that people are saying that.

“I guess it can’t come with too much pressure… I just try to do my best and I mean, it’s obviously great to be compared to Ellyse Perry but at the end of the day, I still do my own thing.” I’m an individual and I just try to do the best I can.”

Four years ago, Bray was taking a selfie with the Australian team in the T20 World Cup. “I think Alice actually got out for a golden duck that day and I remember mum telling me I was crying in the stands when it happened.”

Now, at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, Perry handed Bray his cap – “I was crying a bit, maybe a bit too much,” she revealed. Seven Later – and I was standing next to her as she was getting ready to bowl her first over. Her first ball was pulled by Dottin for six runs, the second ball went to the side of her bat and should have been caught by Sarah Brice and the third ball fell to the ground. But Bray responded by ending the over with an accurate yorker at the base of middle stump.

He said, “My first over was a bit strange… but I am very happy with the wicket.” “Guess I’ll have to redeem myself for the people before me.”

Then, when Perry stormed to 81 off 38 balls, with 32 needed from 20 balls, she came in and sent her second ball for four. Bryce fulfilled the requirement with four fours in six balls and Bray sealed the win with a lofted drive on the off side.

She said, “There are not many expectations from me because I am very young, but obviously still want to perform well and I think I will go for it, don’t need too many runs and yes, did quite well. ” ,

“For a 15-year-old kid to hit a ball over extra cover and win a game is amazing,” Perry said. Seven“She also bowled very well. She’s really a special kid.”

Like Perry, Bray is also an extremely talented footballer who has represented the Junior Matildas. Despite signing a three-year deal with the Sixers, she plans to continue her dual-sport career. “I actually got some questions after I signed for the Sixers,” he said last week. “They’re like that, so are you still playing football? I want to continue playing both of those as long as I can and I think this WBBL contract won’t stop me from playing football.”

Given that commuting from home to Newcastle is not practical during the WBBL, Bray will remain in Coogee along with other interstate and overseas players for the duration of the competition. Her mom, Kim, will live with her, with dad Gavin visiting occasionally. Both were in Adelaide on Sunday. She will do her school work online.

This is an unusually rapid rise for Bray, and it couldn’t be better for a 15-year-old. Born in Denman in the New South Wales Hunter region, Bray was playing junior club cricket for their under-11 team at the age of eight.

Last season he scored 955 runs in the NSW Under-18 Brewer Shield and finished the season with 202 runs from 134 balls to lead Greater Hunter Central Coast to the title. In September she was part of the Australia Under-19 squad for the tri-series in Brisbane, where she produced an exceptional all-round performance against New Zealand, taking 84 runs and 4 wickets for 20 runs.

With so much happening in a short period of time, has he had a chance to step back and think? “I don’t think I really have that,” she said. “It’s definitely come pretty quickly. I also haven’t been home much, but I’m not complaining. I love playing the game.”