Caoimhe Bray turns to Ellyse Perry as young gun braces for major career choice

Teenage WBBL sensation Caoimhe Bray is still coming to terms with her breakthrough performance in Adelaide on Sunday revealing she’s been picking the brain of the very athlete she’s been compared to ever since she joined the Sydney Sixers as hype around her grows.

Bray, 15, who is also a goalkeeper for the Young Matildas, hit the winning runs in the Sydney Sixers’ opening win over the Melbourne Renegades moving superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry, also a former Matilda, to label her “a really special kid”.

Most year nine students spend Sunday evenings worrying about their English homework, but Bray was living out a childhood dream in the middle of the Adelaide Oval as she hit the winning runs to go with a wicket in her first over in the victory over the Renegades.

Bray’s media performance in Sydney on Friday morning suggested she was ready to handle the rapid rise to the WBBL after strong performances in the Spring Challenge, but few could have predicted she’d be this good on debut.

Her first three deliveries went for 14, but the young gun ended her first over in the competition with the wicket of Deandra Dottin as she announced herself to the world and she could turn out again at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday night.

The decision by Sixers coach Charlotte Edwards for her to debut in the season opener was then vindicated as she defied a batting collapse to smack the winning runs with six balls to spare.

“It is a dream debut on how it went. I wasn’t sure how I’d go, but I couldn’t be happier with it,” she said back in Sydney on Monday afternoon.

“‘Pez’ (Perry) gave me the cap and then I went out to field (feeling) a bit nervous, but it all went pretty well.

“When ‘Lottie’ (Edwards) told me that I’d be debuting, I wasn’t as nervous. But when I got onto the field, my heart rate was getting up a bit.

“By the time I’d touched the ball a few times and got in the groove, I was all right.

“It’s been a lot. My mum, dad and I were talking in the hotel room after it and it’s literally a dream come true.

“I’ve always wanted this to happen, and it’s been good.”

Bray only turned 15 last month but has settled into the Sixers squad where she’s already learnt plenty from Perry who she idolised as a child, revealing last week she did most of her school projects on the Australian star.

Bray has already been likened to Perry who chose cricket over soccer despite excelling for the Matildas, scoring a World Cup goal when she was only 17.

A similar decision faces Bray in the coming years, with the Young Matildas prospect eventually having to decide which sport she wants to focus on.

It’s why she’s picking Perry’s brain whenever she can, with the Sixers opener scoring a blistering 81 in the win over the Renegades.

“It’s been really good to see how she goes about herself and her cricket,” said Bray, who could line up for the Sixers at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday night.

“A few of the girls were kicking the soccer ball around at a net session, and I went to have a chat with her every now and then to see what it was like for her when she was playing soccer at such a high level, as well as cricket.

“She’s been a role model of mine since I was little when I wanted to represent Australia in both cricket and soccer.

“Back then I probably wanted to do it in both senior levels, but now that might be a bit unrealistic. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done so far, but I want to keep going further.”