It only felt appropriate that Lucy Hamilton received her maiden ODI cap from the retiring Alyssa Healy.
The national team, having recently lost Meg Lanning to retirement, is entering a period of transition, with Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt also approaching the twilight of their international careers.
Hamilton’s national debut, Sunday’s 50-over clash against India in Hobart, was also Healy’s ODI farewell, so the cap presentation became an apt depiction of the looming changing of the guard.
And now, an injury setback to Australian seamer Kim Garth has opened the door for Hamilton to receive a coveted baggy green during this week’s pink-ball contest at the WACA.
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Alyssa Healy of Australia presents Lucy Hamilton of Australia with her first cap. Photo by Steve Bell/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
The tall 19-year-old was expected to serve as Australia’s reserve fast bowler for the day-night Test against the reigning world champions, which commences on Friday, but Garth’s quad setback has put her on the verge of becoming Australia’s 186th women’s Test cricketer.
Australia’s starting XI is yet to be confirmed, but Hamilton could open the bowling alongside Darcie Brown in the West Australian capital.
“It was a bit out of the blue,” Hamilton said of her Test call-up while speaking to Fox Cricket.
“Got the call that I was going to be in the Governor-General’s XI, which was really exciting, and then at the end of the phone call mentioned I was in the Test squad.
“To be a part of that group of professional athletes that have obviously already done so much, it’s pretty surreal.”
During the final ODI against India at Bellerive Oval, which Australia won by 185 runs, Hamilton went wicketless across nine overs, but took a catch and badged Deepti Sharma with a well-directed bouncer.
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The national call-up came after a whirlwind 12 months for the left-armed seamer, who this season received the Women’s Big Bash League Young Gun award, which boasts an alumni that includes Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown and Phoebe Litchfield. She was the Brisbane Heat’s leading wicket-taker during a disappointing Big Bash campaign, where the franchise finished last with zero wins from nine completed matches.
But towards the end of the T20 competition, Hamilton was snapped up by the Delhi Capitals for $17,000 (50 lakh) at the Women’s Premier League auction, signed for her maiden campaign in the glamorous Indian tournament.
“I was in Adelaide playing domestic cricket, went to sleep and woke up to the morning with lots of messages on my phone,” she recalled.
“My manager had messaged me first, so he was at the bottom of the list and I had to scroll a long way to find who I actually got picked up by.”
Hamilton made two appearances for the Capitals in January, smacking a 19-ball 36 during a loss against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including three sixes. Playing in foreign conditions with new teammates and different coaches proved invaluable for the budding star.
“It was such a cool experience,” Hamilton said.
“The atmosphere at the ground was ridiculous, 35,000 people at every game. It was just hectic and crazy to be a part of it.
“In the moment you don’t hear the crowd when you’re in the zone.
“Hopefully one day I’ll get to go back and play a bit more cricket there, having that under my belt to reflect on.”
Lucy Hamilton of Australia. Photo by Steve Bell/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Raised in Bundaberg and currently residing in Brisbane, Hamilton has been touted as a long-term Australian prospect from an early age, becoming Queensland’s second-youngest WNCL cricketer in 2022. She made her WBBL debut for the Heat later that summer aged 16.
Having represented Australia at the 2023 Under-19 World Cup, Hamilton captained her country during the 2025 edition of the tournament in Malaysia, knocked out in the semi-finals by South Africa.
In November 2024, Hamilton became the youngest cricketer to snare a Big Bash five-wicket haul, taking 5-8 with 20 dot balls during a victory over Melbourne Stars in Sydney. It remains the equal second-best figures in WBBL history.
Hamilton earned a maiden Australia A call-up in August last year, but the lack of red-ball cricket on her resume remains a glaring concern, admitting she has “not much” experience in the game’s longer formats. If selected for the Perth Test, she’ll need to learn and adapt on the fly.
“Especially in women’s cricket, the opportunity of playing a four-dayer is pretty rare,” Hamilton explained.
“Red-ball is obviously a completely different game, but I’m super excited just to learn off all the experts.”
Across the last few weeks, Hamilton has been building up her bowling workloads and adjusting her training regime to ensure she’s capable of running in for lengthy spells if required.
“My workload’s gone up a bit, trying to bowl back-to-back days and get used to that,” she added.
“Really excited to be in the contest and just learn off lots of people. Even in training sessions, I’m learning what other pace bowlers do with the ball and see how I can learn off them.”
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Hamilton’s short-pitched bowling could prove a dangerous weapon on the bouncy WACA deck this week, while increasing her pace over the coming years is “definitely a goal”. Having grown up watching Mitchell Starc wreak havoc with the Kookaburra, she hopes to replicate her childhood hero in the Western Australian capital.
“The WACA is a great ground to play at, knowing that it’s a bit bouncy,” she smiled.
“It’s always nice for a bowler to come in and feel like you’re bowling wheels.”
Left-handed fast bowlers remain a rarity in Australian cricket, with Sydney Sixers seamer Lauren Cheatle the only other to represent the national women’s team across the last 15 years. Hamilton admitted being a southpaw gave her “a bit of an edge”.
“I’m pretty tall as well, so getting a bit of variation of bounce as well is obviously different,” he said.
“Just the natural variation I suppose … it’s different compared to what others have faced, which hopefully will challenge the batters a bit more than normal.”
Hamilton continues to receive attention from overseas, signing for the Birmingham Phoenix in the upcoming Hundred campaign in the United Kingdom, where she’ll play alongside superstar Perry. For the young Queenslander, Lord’s is a long way from Bundaberg.
The women’s Test between Australia and India commences on Friday at 4.20pm AEDT.