New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Lucy Hamilton described her journey to a maiden central contract as a ‘rollercoaster,’ capping a whirlwind rise that has transformed her from a domestic hopeful into an all-format international in less than a year.

Only months ago, the 19-year-old pacer was mapping out a routine domestic season featuring appearances for Queensland and Brisbane Heat. Since then, she has broken into Australia’s senior setup across all three formats, secured her first Cricket Australia contract and lined up a busy international and franchise calendar.

Hamilton was named among the new inclusions in Cricket Australia’s contract list for the upcoming season, alongside uncapped Western Australia fast bowler Chloe Ainsworth.

Reflecting on her unexpected rise, Hamilton admitted the past few months had unfolded far beyond her initial expectations.

“You prepare for your season in a very normal structure of Queensland games, and then WBBL, so I definitely would not have imagined I was standing here today or receiving a CA contract, (I’m) definitely grateful,” Hamilton told cricket.com.au of her first CA deal.

“Coming off the big summer in the Queensland camp, and then getting my call up into a few squads, and then coming to the West Indies, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. But it tops it off getting my first Aussie contract,” she added.

Her rapid ascent has also included a stint in India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) earlier this year. She is further set to feature in England’s Hundred competition in August after being signed by Birmingham Phoenix, where she will share the dressing room with established Australian stars, Ellyse Perry and Alana King.

Hamilton’s performances have already put her in contention for selection in Australia’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, the youngster remains focused on immediate steps rather than looking too far ahead.

She is particularly eager to join her first national training camp, scheduled to be held in Brisbane in early May, where she hopes to further develop under the guidance of the Australian coaching staff.

“I’m super excited to jump straight into all the camps and get to experience what the Australian cricket team (do) in their training schedule and just get put in different pressure situations that hopefully just improve my game for the best. My foot is just in the door a little bit now with all the coaches,” Hamilton said.

“I’m really excited to work alongside them in the camps and more full-on in Brisbane … that’s a thing that I’ve always wanted to do and looked forward to, so hopefully my development just keeps growing from there,” she added.

Before stepping into the next phase of her international career, Hamilton is set to take a short break during the annual leave window. She plans to return to her hometown of Bundaberg to reconnect with family and friends following her breakthrough run.

“It’s going to be a nice little relaxing break, (with) a few Airbnb’s booked in, and just go home to Bundaberg for a bit. It’ll be nice just to catch up with family over the back end of Easter and have a bit of a chill at the beach and not do too much. It has been very nice to see all the support from back home.

“The time difference is a little bit tricky, but lots of my friends and grandparents and family have been up in the early morning hours … (it’s) been really lovely to see their support and I’m just excited to go home and catch up with them all,” she concluded.

–IANS

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