Nicola Carey’s first day as a mother, alongside partner and former Hobart Hurricanes skipper Elyse Villani, will be remembered for far more than the arrival of baby Louis James Villani-Carey. Within hours of welcoming their son on Wednesday, the new Hurricanes captain walked into Ninja Stadium and produced one of the finest all-round performances of her WBBL career, even as her team’s title defence continued to slip away.
Carey and Villani welcomed Louis on 4 November 2026, a moment that brought together two of Hobart’s most influential cricketing figures. Villani, the former Australian batter who led the Hurricanes to their maiden WBBL title, had retired from the tournament at the end of the previous season. Carey, her successor as skipper, then delivered a performance worthy of the occasion: a 43-ball 62 and 2 for 30 against the Melbourne Renegades, in what was also her 150th WBBL appearance.
The day nearly became perfect. Needing to defend seven in the final over, Carey almost forced a Super Over, only for a line-ball call and a rare rule to hand the Renegades victory after wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee was found to have taken the final delivery in front of the stumps. Still, the performance stood as a powerful statement from a player navigating an extraordinary personal and professional week.
Spinner Lauren Smith captured the mood within the squad. “Wednesday was obviously a really big day for Nic,” she said. “We all supported her as much as we can, and having that relief that the baby came healthy and safe, that night she just let her hair down and played with freedom, and we were all stoked she got runs on the board for us, then bowled the house down.”
Carey’s rise to the captaincy carries a particular significance because of her connection with Villani. The pair worked closely during Villani’s four-year tenure, with Carey serving as vice-captain last season as Hobart claimed their historic title. In the 11th edition’s final on 13 December 2025 at Bellerive Oval, Villani’s Hurricanes defeated Sophie Devine’s Perth Scorchers by eight wickets to lift their first WBBL crown.
That partnership now continues in a different form. Villani may no longer lead the side, but her experience remains a guiding presence for Carey, who is leading a WBBL team at this level for the first time. “Whenever I’m panicking about something, she’s quite a calming influence, and almost like a mentor in that space,” Carey said before the season. “She’d done it for so long and did a really good job, so I definitely learnt heaps off her.”
The Hurricanes, however, have found the transition difficult on the field. Entering their fourth match of the 12th edition, they sat bottom of the table with three defeats from three games. Against Georgia Redmayne’s Brisbane Heat at Allan Border Field on 7 November, Carey remained in Hobart following Louis’s birth, with Heather Graham taking the captaincy reins.
Batting first after Redmayne won the toss and chose to bowl, Hobart were restricted to 116 for 9 in their 20 overs. Rachel Trenaman top-scored with 25 from 33 balls, while Maddy Green made 24 off 22 and stand-in skipper Graham added 21 from 23. It was a modest total, but one that reflected a side still searching for rhythm amid an unsettled start to their campaign.
Carey had acknowledged before the season that the schedule would be demanding. “There is a bit (going on), I’m not going to lie, I’ve been a little bit overwhelmed at times thinking about the schedule,” she said. “But I knew when the baby was going to be born, and I was aware of all of that and the scheduling when I took the (captaincy) role.”
For Hobart, the immediate challenge is turning inspiration into results. For Carey and Villani, though, the arrival of Louis has already given the season a meaning beyond the points table.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Australia Official Press Release).
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.