If Lucy Hamilton is handed her Baggy Green at the WACA Ground on Friday, it will be the latest step in what has been a meteoric rise for the teenage fast bowler – but don’t expect the Queenslander to be overawed by the occasion.
The unflappable left-armer immediately looked at home on her ODI debut in Hobart last Sunday, unsettling the India top-order in a spell that, while wicketless, was full of promise.
Hamilton was initially drafted into the Test squad as a reserve fast bowler, but Kim Garth’s quad injury has opened the door for a debut, where she is likely to share the new pink ball with Darcie Brown.
“I thought she was unreal,” Beth Mooney said of Hamilton’s one-day debut.
“I first thought she was a bit stiff, not getting a wicket.
“She certainly rushed the batters a little bit, really made them play the ball, they weren’t sure if it was going to swing in or go across them.
“She’s bowled a little bit to me, and is certainly very challenging, so I think the pace and the bounce of the WACA will suit her.
“If she does debut, she seems pretty chill. I don’t think she’ll be too overawed by the occasion.”
While she is only 19 years old, Hamilton’s cricketing resume is already brimming with achievements.
One of four children, Hamilton discovered her aptitude for fast bowling playing against the boys in her native Bundaberg, quickly capturing the attention of scouts before she made her senior debut for Queensland at age 15.
By 17, she had a state contract and, as her parents recalled on broadcast following her debut, spent her first Queensland paycheck on a tinny.
Hamilton made headlines around the country when she claimed a record-equalling 5-8 for Brisbane Heat in 2024 – while her schoolmates were celebrating schoolies – and shortly after, her quiet confidence and cricketing smarts saw her named Australia captain for the 2025 Under-19 World Cup.
Early last year, she made the move to Brisbane full-time, and after making ad-hoc WBBL appearances over her first couple of season in teal, took on a key role leading the Brisbane Heat attack in WBBL|11.
“Last year was my first full preseason, which was really exciting, just to get down be amongst the girls 24/7, and live in the professional environment,” Hamilton told cricket.com.au.
“I think knowing that you get the trust from your state teams, and Brisbane Heat to open the bowling every game, and going from last year to playing every now and then around school, and then getting in the full-time professional environment and playing every game … it was a really big privilege.
“To be running out there with alongside Jess Jonassen, Georgia Redmayne, and everyone knowing that they back you, it was really special.”
Teammates and coaches alike believe the sky if the limit for Hamilton, who batted in the top-order at that U19 World Cup and who feasibly could one day follow the Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland route from specialist quick to bonafide allrounder.
She showed glimpses of that potential during her first foray into the Women’s Premier League in India in January – picked up by Delhi Capitals, she hit he made 36 off 19 balls on debut.
Upon her return from India, Hamilton got the call from national selector Shawn Flegler informing her that she had been selected in the squad for the day-night Test in Perth.
“It’s been super exciting to be added to the squad, having the opportunity to train around all these really professional athletes, it’s just been an honour and definitely a dream come true,” Hamilton said.
Suddenly, Hamilton’s training schedule took on a different look, bowling more overs than ever in the nets to prepare her body for a potential Test debut.
“It was a lot of long bowling sessions in the nets to no one, to be honest, because the Queensland Fire girls had a bit of time off,” she continued.
“It was interesting to get your body prepped for a Test match … but knowing that it’ll (hopefully) be rewarded at the end.”
NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series
Australia lead the multi-format series 8-4
February 15: First T20: India won by 21 runs (DLS)
February 19: Second T20: Australia won by 19 runs
February 21: Third T20: India won by 17 runs
February 24: First ODI: Australia won by six wickets
February 27: Second ODI: Australia won by five wickets
March 1: Third ODI: Australia won by 185 runs
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)
