Cricket player Lucy Hamilton in Qld Fire squad

Balancing cricket and high school studies is a tough ask for Bundaberg talent Lucy Hamilton but the Shalom College student reckons she has got it just right.

Balancing cricket and studies is a tough ask for Bundaberg rising star Lucy Hamilton but the Shalom College student reckons she’s got it just right.

The 17-year-old was recently named in the Queensland Fire squad for the 2023-24 season after making two appearances for the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash league last year.

Hamilton also played twice for the Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League in 2022, becoming the second youngest debutant for Queensland at aged 15.

The left-arm quick bowler took two wickets on debut against Western Australia to announce herself to the competition and now has secured another state contract for the coming campaign.

Hamilton said while she had an experience of juggling cricket and school work last year, it was still challenging.

“All of term four last year I was away from school and had to do all the work online,” she said.

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“Covid has been obviously terrible, but also good because of everything being online.

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“It’s not easy for me to work away from school but I think I did that well last year.”

Hamilton gets help from oldest brother Jack who is a PE and maths teacher in Mt Isa, while she also has tutors back home in Bundaberg.

“They do zoom calls while Im on the road,” Hamilton added.

“It’s challenging, but we make it work, which is good.”

Away from school, Hamilton has played cricket from a young age.

Her father Steve and brothers Jack and Will were all attached to Across The Waves club in Bundaberg and when Will’s under-12 team was short on players, Lucy stepped in aged 10 and has not looked back.

Hamilton, who plays for the Sunshine Coast Scorchers, said being from a country town was difficult because of the travelling involved, but said the likes of Beth Mooney, who is from Hervey Bay and Kingaroy’s Holly Ferling, had provided plenty of inspiration.

“It was always Beth from Hervey Bay,” Hamilton said of the players who she looked up to.

“She came from an area like mine and she went through the Wide Bay system.

“Then the stories that Holly Ferling told me bout coming from a country town helped me out leading into me playing games for Queensland Fire.

“It’s about making the connections to people who have lived out here (the Wide Bay) where I do, and how they got into cricket as well.”

Hamilton will continue to play grade cricket in Bundaberg and also turn out for the Scorchers before the WNCL season starts in September.

The teenager said she was still pinching herself over her new contract with the Fire but was determined to make it work.

“It’s a great achievement for me and my family,” Hamilton said.

“From a young age I have enjoyed cricket, so to just have an opportunity to go play for your state or for Brisbane Heat, it’s a very special moment.

“When I got the call and signed the contract and it became official, it was surreal, but now it’s a great opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get back on the field.”

Hamilton has already represented her country as part of the Australian team in the inaugural under-19 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in January this year.

She took five wickets at an average of 10.80 in the tournament, with Australia losing out by three runs in the semi-final to England.

Hamilton said playing in the World Cup gave her a taste of what representing your country was all about and she would like another chance at the highest level later in her career.

“Playing in the Aussie u-19 team really set me up to see how other people do it,” she said.

“That is a goal of mine to play for the Australian senior women’s team and now I need to just keep training and working hard and striving towards my goal.”

Australia takes on England in the Ashes in both the men’s and women’s games later this month and Hamilton said she would be glued to the TV for both series.

“When the boys are playing, it’s very exciting to see the contest,” she said.

“For the girls it’s a bit of a different format, but it’s exciting for them too and I can’t wait to watch

“(Injured captain) Meg Lanning is a big loss, but the Aussies still have a strong team and will be hot favourites.

“It will be interesting to see if the likes of Alyssa Healy and Ash Gardner will step up to the plate.”

Originally published as Cricket player Lucy Hamilton in Qld Fire squad