NEW DELHI: Fast-bowler Lucy Hamilton has become the youngest player to take a five-wicket haul in the history of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). Lucy has achieved this feat at 18 years and 193 days while picking 5-8 for Brisbane Heat in their clash against Melbourne Stars on Sunday.
Pushed into batting first, Stars had a decent start till Lucy, who hadn’t taken a wicket in the WBBL before, had other ideas to turn the game around. She began her stunning show in the fifth over by castling wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (8) and having captain Annabel Sutherland (21) caught out in the span of three balls.
She then returned to the bowling attack in ninth over by having Meg Lanning (13) nicking behind to keeper Georgia Redmayne, before dismissing Tess Flintoff (7) in the 11th over. Lucy completed her five-for in the 15th over by trapping Deepti Sharma lbw with a slower delivery, and end up with 5-8, including a maiden over.
Lucy, who represented Australia U19 team in two ODIs previously and took five wickets for them in their 2023 Women’s U19 T20 World Cup campaign, broke the record which previously belonged to West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews, who took 5-19 off 3.4 overs while playing for Hobart Hurricanes in 2017 WBBL at 18 years and 296 days.
Her figures of 5-8 are also the equal-second-best figures in the competition's history, behind only senior Australia pacer Megan Schutt's 6-19 and are equal with leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, who took the same figures for Adelaide Strikers in 2021 WBBL.
Lucy’s splendid spell was instrumental in Brisbane Heat chasing a target of 139 in 17.4 overs, with six wickets and 15 balls remaining. India batter Jemimah Rodrigues was the chief contributor in Heat’s successful chase with 45 off 31 balls, laced with five fours and two sixes.