Hannah Joy Darlington (born 25 January 2002) is an Australian cricketer who made her debut for the national women's team in September 2021. A right-arm medium-pace bowler, Darlington is the current captain of the Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and vice-captain of 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]
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| Full name | Hannah Joy Darlington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2002-01-25) 25 January 2002 (age 20) Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| ODI debut (cap 145) | 21 September 2021 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 24 September 2021 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 55) | 7 October 2021 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 9 October 2021 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–present | Sydney Thunder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Otago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–present | New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 9 October 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Darlington was named in Australia's limited overs squad for their tour of New Zealand in March 2021,[25][26] but was not selected in the playing XI during the six-match schedule. She was then named in Australia's squad for a multi-format series against India later in the year.[27] During the series, Darlington made her Women's One Day International (WODI) debut on 21 September 2021,[28] as well as her Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) debut on 7 October 2021.[29]
In January 2022, Darlington was named in Australia's squad for their series against England to contest the Women's Ashes.[30] Later the same month, she was named as a reserve in Australia's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[31] However, she later withdrew from the squad, and was replaced by Heather Graham.[32]
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New South Wales Breakers – current squad | |
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Sydney Thunder (WBBL) – current squad | |
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