MATILDA Lugg has received the chance of a lifetime in her young cricket career.

The former Coffs Colts junior has been signed by the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season.

The young wicket keeper will get to learn from her idol Australian wicket keeper Alyssa Healy while at the Sydney Sixers.

She also joins a star-studded Sixers squad including Australian representatives Healy, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns and Lauren Cheatle.

The 21-year-old has spent the last three years playing for the ACT Meteors in the Women’s National Cricket League.

Playing six matches in the Female T20 Bash, Lugg scored 110 runs at an average of 22 while also taking two wickets.

The new Sixers signing played her junior cricket for the Coffs Colts from 2011 to 2015, which featured two seasons where she averaged over 30 with the bat.

Lugg looked back fondly on her formative years playing in Coffs Harbour.

“Coffs was a really important part to the start of my career and there were some great coaches I had, local coaches, and a lot of great guys I played with as obviously there isn’t a girl’s competition there so I played with the boys,” she said.

Lugg described the moment she received the call to join the Sixers.

“I wasn’t expecting that phone call, and I picked up the phone and she was talking to me and said how would you feel about being part of the Sixers this season, we are in need of a backup keeper for Alyssa Healy,” she said.

The WBBL07 season gets underway in October.

 

By Aiden BURGESS