After a standout Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 10 season, promising young leg-spinner Amy Smith from Tasmania has re-signed with the Hobart Hurricanes, signing a two-year extension that will see her remain with the club through to the end of WBBL 12.
Smith is set to rejoin the Hurricanes for WBBL 11, with the emerging leg-spinning all-rounder thrilled to continue her WBBL journey in purple. The youngest player ever to debut for the ‘Canes and one of the youngest in WBBL history, Smith made her first appearance in WBBL 06 at the age of just 15 years. Since then, she has steadily developed into a key figure in the Hurricanes’ lineup.
After missing the start of WBBL 10 due to injury, Smith’s return to the Hurricanes XI was a welcome boost for the club. She made an immediate impact, taking nine wickets in eight matches at an impressive average of 14.55 and finishing with the second-best economy rate in the competition at just 5.24 runs per over.
One of the more underrated aspects of Smith’s game is her batting. While opportunities up the order have been limited in the WBBL, she already has a WNCL half-century to her name and will be eager to showcase her abilities with the bat in upcoming seasons.
At just 20 years old, the leg-spinner has already made 57 appearances for the Hurricanes, ranking fourth all time in club history. With age on her side, her best cricket is still ahead of her as she continues to grow and improve her game.
Over the past 12 months, Smith has stepped up to higher levels of competition, featuring for Australia ‘A’ in matches against England in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
Cricket Tasmania’s High Performance General Manager, Salliann Beams, has praised Smith’s development and is excited to see what she can achieve next summer.
Beams said, “Amy is an exciting prospect for us, a homegrown talent who continues to develop and impress with every opportunity. Her bowling in WBBL-10 was a real asset to our team, with her leg-spin not only taking wickets but also managing to keep the run rate down and putting pressure on the opposition.”
Beams also highlighted Smith’s dedication to training and her focus on improving all aspects of her game, emphasising how motivated the young player is. She added that Amy is expected to play a key role in the Hurricanes’ success in WBBL 11 and beyond.
Hobart Hurricanes Squad for WBBL 11 (so far):
Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Smith
(Quotes sourced from Hobart Hurricanes media release)
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