Hannah Darlington
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Hannah Joy Darlington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Sydney, New South Wales | 25 January 2002|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017–present | Sydney Thunder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–20 | Otago Sparks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–present | New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 18 August 2021 |
Hannah Joy Darlington (born 25 January 2002) is an Australian cricketer who plays as a right-handed batter and right-arm medium-pace bowler for the Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and the New South Wales Breakers in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL).[1][2] In 2021, she won the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year award.[3]
Early life and education[]
Hailing from Erskine Park in Western Sydney, Darlington has indigenous heritage and identifies as a member of the Kamilaroi people.[4] While in primary school, she accidentally hit a teacher in the head with a ball and was given a choice of attending detention or joining the cricket team, prompting her formal introduction to the sport.[5] She completed her HSC at Westfields Sports High School.[6][7]
Domestic career[]
Women's Big Bash League[]
At 15 years of age, Darlington signed with the Sydney Thunder ahead of the 2017–18 Women's Big Bash League season.[8] In 2018, she was selected as the captain for the Thunder's first female Indigenous XI.[9][10]
Darlington earned her WBBL debut in the opening match of the 2019–20 season on the same day of her Year 12 English exam.[4] She made her first major impression on the league in her third appearance by taking a difficult match-winning catch on the last ball of a three-run victory against the Melbourne Renegades at Blacktown ISP Oval. Primarily contributing to the team through her medium-pace bowling, Darlington claimed 16 wickets during the tournament at an economy rate of 6.82, leading to her winning the WBBL|05 Young Gun Award and being named the Thunder's Player of the Season.[11][12]
After overcoming a lower-leg injury early in the 2020–21 season, Darlington affirmed her status as "one of the best death bowlers"[13] in the league—on 8 November at Hurstville Oval, for example, she restricted the Hobart Hurricanes to nine runs off the final over of the match to help secure a one-run victory.[14] The "level-headed"[15] teenager then delivered her first Player of the Match performance in a "chaotic"[16] semi-final against the Brisbane Heat, claiming figures of 3/19 and sparking a memorable comeback victory. The Thunder would go on to defeat the Melbourne Stars in the final, and Darlington was named in the WBBL|06 Team of the Tournament.[17]
Women's Super Smash[]
Having missed out on a WNCL contract for the 2019–20 season, Darlington opted to spend much of the summer overseas playing for the Otago Sparks in New Zealand's domestic T20 competition, the Women's Super Smash.[18] She took 13 wickets at an economy rate of 5.75 throughout the tournament while her team finished in third place, losing to the Auckland Hearts in an elimination final.[19][20]
Women's National Cricket League[]
Darlington made her debut for the New South Wales Breakers during the 2019–20 Women's National Cricket League season, taking 2/29 from ten overs in a one-wicket victory against Tasmania.[21][22] On 26 February 2021, at 19 years and 31 days, she became the youngest-ever captain in New South Wales' 165-year history of senior cricket teams, standing in for regular Breakers captain Alyssa Healy in a WNCL match against Tasmania which ended in a tie.[23]
International tours[]
Darlington was selected for an Indigenous team which toured the United Kingdom in 2018 as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the 1868 Aboriginal tour of England.[24] In March 2019, she toured New Zealand as a member of the Australian Under-19 squad, though the trip ended prematurely due to the Christchurch terror attack.[18]
In February 2021, Darlington was named in Australia's limited overs squad for their series against New Zealand,[25][26] but she was not selected in the playing XI during the six-match tour.
In August 2021, Darlington was named in Australia's squad for their series against India, which included a one-off day/night Test match as part of the tour.[27]
References[]
- ^ "Hannah Darlington | Sydney Thunder - BBL". www.sydneythunder.com.au. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "NSW Breakers". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Darlington eyes the one-day game as her next evolution". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "'That is pretty incredible for a 17-year-old'". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ Seconi, Adrian (10 January 2020). "Lesson learned at school". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Thunder partners with Westfields Sports High School". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Darlington bowled over by change in her game". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Darlington Becomes The First Graduate Of The Thunder WBBL Academy". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Teenage star to captain first female Indigenous XI for Thunder". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ Osborne, Kayla (19 September 2019). "Hannah Darlington re-signs with Sydney Thunder". Fairfield City Champion. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Darlington named WBBL|05 Young Gun". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Darlington wins Alex Blackwell Medal". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "From Thunder Academy to Australian squad". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Keoghan, Sarah (8 November 2020). "Devine intervention sees Sixers handed first loss, Thunder topple Hurricanes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "The secret to Darlington's success in WBBL|06". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "'Crazy': Cricket champs suffer horror collapse". NewsComAu. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Devine takes top individual gong in WBBL awards". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Darlington determined to seize latest opportunity". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "New Zealand Cricket Women's Twenty20, 2019/20 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of Otago Women vs AK Women Preliminary Final 2019/20 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Darlington set to make NSW debut". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of Tas Women vs NSW Women 22nd Match 2019/20 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ AAP (27 February 2021). "Youngest ever NSW captain trusted with Breakers legacy". Cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "Hannah Darlington: on cricket in the UK and playing for the Sydney Thunder". Indigenous.gov.au. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Teenage quicks bolt into Aussie squad for NZ tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Hannah Darlington: 'Every day I'm pinching myself that this is happening'". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Stars ruled out, bolters named in squad to play India". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
External links[]
- Hannah Darlington at ESPNcricinfo
- Hannah Darlington at CricketArchive (subscription required)
- Hannah Darlington at Cricket Australia
- Living people
- 2002 births
- Cricketers from Sydney
- People educated at Westfields Sports High School
- Australian women cricketers
- New South Wales cricketers
- Otago Sparks cricketers
- Sydney Thunder (WBBL) cricketers