In an interview with the Weekender two years ago, young cricketer Elsa Hunter’s goal was to one day play in the Women’s Big Bash League.
The 20-year-old was fortunate to get that opportunity with the Sydney Sixers last summer, impressing the club so much that she’ll be remaining with them well into the future.
Last week, the Sixers completed their first signing of the off-season, with Hunter formally putting pen to paper for the next two years.
Dubbed “one of the most exciting up-and-coming prospects in the game”, the Penrith cricketer is no stranger to the big stage, making her T20 International debut for Malaysia in 2019, at just 13-years-old.
Called into the side last summer as a local replacement for the injured Kate Peterson, Hunter made her first appearance for the Sixers facing the Adelaide Strikers in front of a home crowd at North Sydney Oval.
A classy opening batter, the Emu Plains junior wasted no time making an impact, notching 28 runs in her first outing, including a stellar six into the stands of the iconic ground.
Making her debut for the NSW Women’s team in their first match of the 2024/25 Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) season, Hunter quickly became a permanent fixture in the side, sealing her place at the top of the order.
With an impressive 277 runs across the summer, including a high-score of 93 against reigning Premiers Tasmania, Hunter culminated her season with a WNCL title, bringing the Ruth Preddy Cup home to NSW in March.
Sydney Sixers General Manager Rachael Haynes said fans should be excited to see Hunter in the magenta for the next two years.
“Elsa is a fantastic young player and someone who we expect to be a part of this competition for a long time. We saw a glimpse last season of what she’s capable of and our fans should be looking forward to seeing plenty more of her in the coming years,” she said.
“We’re extremely lucky to have had such a strong nucleus at the Sixers for a long period of time, but we know it’s crucial that we continue to build on that core group and add talent and depth in order to continue pushing for titles and challenging in this competition.
“We have been really impressed by Elsa’s maturity and level-headed nature, and we’re looking forward to what she will bring to our group over the two seasons.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.