Lauren Cheatle: The next big thing in women's cricket

School girl Lauren Cheatle is already making waves as she was named this week in the New South Wales Breakers squad for the upcoming season at the age of 15, according to Fox Sports Australia. With her inclusion in the squad, she is poised to become the youngest cricketer ever to represent NSW.

Cheatle is considered to be a player of huge potential and has began earning comparisons with Ellyse Perry, one of Australia’s leading female cricketers at the moment. Like Perry, the left-arm fast bowler is a pace bowling all-rounder who is also talented in other sports. Cheatle takes part in netball at a competitive level.

Coach warns against expectations

Breakers coach Jo Broadbent is excited at the potential of the youngster but has warned against placing too many expectations on the 15-year-old.

“I was coaching at youth level when I first met Ellyse and she’s something special, and I think Lauren’s definitely got something special as well,” Broadbent said.

Broadbent is in his 3rd season as coach of the Breakers, and he has been closely following Cheatle’s progress ever since his attention was first drawn to her cricketing ability back in 2012.

“I’m leading into my third season in this role (as NSW coach), so the last couple of years I’ve seen her in our U15 environment and thought ‘gee, that’s a good player coming through the system’,” he said.

“That year (2012) we were just observing her in our club games and U15 championship, and then the next year we involved her in City v Country selection trials we had for the Breakers.

“She played in those matches, and we just went ‘wow’. She was 14 at the time, but we like to look more at their ability than their age so we weren’t fussed that she was 14.”

Possibilities of a call-up to the Australian women’s cricket team

He went on to add that Cheatle, who hasn’t even played for her senior state team yet, has a decent chance of getting a look-in for the Southern Stars within the next 12 months with there being a dearth of quick bowlers in the country.

“Potentially, if she’s to play her best cricket this year she could find herself putting a Breakers shirt on, and I think they’ll be very interested in her at the national level because there seems to be a deficiency of quick bowlers.

“Lauren would have to be somewhere in the top 10 (fast bowlers) around the country. She’s definitely a chance,” Broadbent signed off.