After Tayla Vlaeminck’s tournament-ending injury, the Hobart Hurricanes have called up 13-year-old Mia Barwick to their team for the T20 Spring Challenge, replacing Heather Graham, who is travelling to the T20 World Cup.
Pace bowler Barwick has competed in the Under-16 and Under-19 Female National Championships and shown promise in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League.
She may play in the final phases of the new early-season competition that serves as a warm-up for the WBBL after carrying the drinks against the Perth Scorchers on Monday.
The T20 Spring Challenge has allowed some inexperienced players to break into the squads, with top Australian players participating in the T20 World Cup and WBBL international players still to be added.
All-around player Caoimhe Bray, 15, has made an impression at Sydney Sixers after having a strong performance for the Australia Under-19s earlier in the month.
The day after Laura Harris hammered a 46-ball century, Bray debuted against ACT, taking 2 for 19. In the following match, he claimed Harris’s wicket against Brisbane Heat.
The WBBL will have 40 games in the regular season to compensate for the fewer games played. This is why the Spring Challenge was formed. Originally intended as a state competition, pressure from Victoria and New South Wales caused it to align with WBBL clubs.
