Darcie Brown

Darcie Rose Brown (born 7 March 2003)^[1] is an Australian cricketer who plays as a fast bowler for the South Australian Scorpions in the Women's National Cricket League,^[2] and for the Adelaide Strikers in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).^[3][4] She made her international debut for the Australia women's cricket team in March 2021, and earned a contract with Cricket Australia the following month.^[5]

Darcie Brown

Brown bowling for Adelaide Strikers during WBBL|08
Personal information
Full name	Darcie Rose Brown
Born	(2003-03-07) 7 March 2003 (age 21) Kapunda, South Australia
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 177)	30 September 2021 v India
Last Test	15 February 2024 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 144)	10 April 2021 v New Zealand
Last ODI	10 February 2024 v South Africa
T20I debut (cap 54)	30 March 2021 v New Zealand
Last T20I	30 January 2024 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2019/20–present	South Australia
2019/20–present	Adelaide Strikers
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I WLA Matches 4 19 30 31 Runs scored 13 – 6 52 Batting average 4.33 – – 17.33 100s/50s 0/0 – 0/0 0/0 Top score 8 – 6* 19 Balls bowled 476 714 600 1,191 Wickets 10 23 28 32 Bowling average 28.20 25.30 22.96 31.00 5 wickets in innings 1 0 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 – – – Best bowling 5/21 4/33 3/20 4/33 Catches/stumpings 2/– 6/– 13/– 14/–
Medal record Women's Cricket Representing  Australia Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham Team World Cup Winner 2022 New Zealand T20 World Cup Winner 2023 South Africa
Source: CricketArchive, 18 February 2024

Early life

Born and raised in Kapunda, a town in the Barossa Valley of South Australia, Brown is part of a sporting family. She, her two older brothers and her father have played A grade cricket together for the Kapunda team in the Barossa and Light competition, and she has also teamed up with her mother for the Northern Jets in the South Australia Cricket Association first grade women's district tournament.^[6][7]

By the time Brown had reached her mid-teens, she was already participating in high level basketball, cricket, netball and Australian rules football competitions, and also playing tennis.^[2][6] In 2018, she was part of the national title-winning South Australian schoolgirl's netball team, and was selected for an Australian schoolgirl's netball tour of New Zealand. In October 2018, she scored 117 off 84 balls in Adelaide Premier Cricket, contributing to what is believed to be a world record score in a 50 over match, 3/596.^[8] In January 2019, she told the Barossa Herald that "I just want to play as many sports as possible, for as long as I can."^[6] Her greatest challenge as a sportswoman was that she needed to wear glasses, which slip when she is bowling.^[2]

In early 2019, Brown was named in the Australia under-19 women's cricket squad, to compete in a four-match series against a New Zealand emerging players side in March 2019. She also moved to Adelaide to start her school year 11 on a netball scholarship with the Henley High School sports program.^[6][7]

Career

A few weeks after returning from the March 2019 cricket tour of New Zealand, and after turning 16, Brown was awarded her first senior State contract, for the Scorpions.^[2] In October 2019, she signed for the Adelaide Strikers,^[9] becoming the youngest cricketer, male or female, to sign for the side.^[10] In announcing the signing, the Strikers commented that she was one of the fastest female bowlers in the State, clocking up speeds of up to 116 km/h (72 mph).^[7]

Brown made her debut for the Scorpions on 9 January 2020.^[11] She debuted for the Strikers on 25 October 2020, in the sixth edition of the WBBL,^[12] taking three wickets.^[13]

In February 2021, Brown was named in Australia's limited overs squad for their series against New Zealand.^[14] She made her Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) debut for Australia on 30 March 2021, against New Zealand.^[15] She made her Women's One Day International (WODI) debut for Australia on 10 April 2021, also against New Zealand.^[16]

In August 2021, Brown 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.^[17] Brown made her Test debut on 30 September 2021, for Australia against India.^[18]

In January 2022, Brown was named in Australia's squad for their series against England to contest the Women's Ashes.^[19] Later the same month, she was named in Australia's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.^[20] Brown was named as the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year at the 2022 Australian Cricket Awards.^[21] In May 2022, Brown was named in Australia's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.^[22]

On 15 February 2024, Brown claimed first innings figures of 5/21 against South Africa to record her first international five-wicket haul.^[23]

References

1. "Darcie Brown". Wisden. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
2. SACA Media (17 July 2019). . South Australian Cricket Association. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
3. "Darcie Brown". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
4. "Ohhh, Darcie Brown! Teenage tearaway ignites WBBL". The Weekend Australian. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
5. "Darcie Brown earns Cricket Australia contract as Delissa Kimmince announces retirement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
6. Argent, Peter (28 January 2019). . Barossa Herald. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
7. Staff writer (9 October 2019). "Darcie Brown makes history signing with WBBL". Barossa Herald. Retrieved 27 October 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
8. "Northern Districts' women whack 596 in lopsided 50-over match against Port Adelaide". Fox Sports. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
9. "Adelaide Strikers sign 16-year-old Darcie Brown for WBBL". ANI News. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
10. "Darcie Brown becomes youngest player to sign for Adelaide Strikers". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
11. Konstantopoulos, Mary (10 January 2020). "Veterans and youngsters shine as women's cricket returns". theroar.com.au. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
12. "WBBL round-up: Grace Harris aces Heat's chase, Wolvaardt shines in Strikers' big win". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
13. "Remember the name: Brown sizzles on WBBL debut". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
14. "Teenage quicks bolt into Aussie squad for NZ tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
15. "2nd T20I, Napier, Mar 30 2021, Australia Women tour of New Zealand". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
16. "3rd ODI (D/N), Mount Maunganui, Apr 10 2021, Australia Women tour of New Zealand". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
17. "Stars ruled out, bolters named in squad to play India". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
18. "Only Test (D/N), Carrara, Sep 30 - Oct 3 2021, India Women tour of Australia". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
19. "Alana King beats Amanda-Jade Wellington to place in Australia's Ashes squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
20. "Wellington, Harris return in Australia's World Cup squad". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
21. "2022 Domestic and Young Cricketers of the Year named". auscricket.com.au. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
22. "Aussies unchanged in quest for Comm Games gold". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
23. "Healy's 99 and Brown's five wickets headline Australia's dominance". ESPNcricinfo. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

Further reading

• Byrne, Declan; Sport And Spice podcast (22 June 2023). "How Darcie Brown has become an integral cog in the Australian women's cricket squad". ABC News. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Darcie Brown.

• Darcie Brown at ESPNcricinfo  
• Darcie Brown at CricketArchive   (subscription required) ()
• Darcie Brown at Cricket Australia
• Darcie Brown at Commonwealth Games Australia
• Darcie Brown at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games