THE BROWN JEWEL FOR AUSTRALIA

NOT even Australian captain Meg Lanning has been spared from copping thunderbolts from teen sensation – and Australia’s wildcard heading into Sunday’s final against England – Darcie Brown.

In a net session this week, Brown unleashed against Lanning with some rib ticklers that spoke volumes of the talent, and confidence, of the fast bowler who will create headaches for a resurgent England.

“I copped the brunt of that ... a couple of short balls which were pretty well directed,” Lanning said.

“I wasn’t loving it at the time but thought this is great for the team. Darce has been great, she runs in and bowls fast and she’s a wicket-taker. She’s an X-factor. The challenge for Darcie is to use pace and energy in the right way.”

Just shy of 12 months ago, the quietly spoken teenager made her oneday international debut for Australia.

The South Australian had only months earlier graduated from Henley High School when Lanning tossed her the ball to open the bowling against New Zealand in the Rose Bowl Series in April last year.

Now, the 19-year-old is back on Kiwi soil, preparing for what could potentially be the biggest game of her career: the Women’s World Cup final against England at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on Sunday.

Ask what life’s been like since she debuted for Australia and you’ll get a typical Brown response: honest with a distinct touch of innocent humour. “It’s pretty surreal,” she says. “I mean … I still can’t really believe it. And I’ve probably never eaten out at as many restaurants as this before in my life. Usually (I’d go to a restaurant) for special occasions back home, if we had a birthday or something.

“But it’s really cool just to hang out with the girls.”

Brown, who aged only 16 in 2019 became the youngest person – male or female – to be signed by the Adelaide Strikers, is widely regarded as a sporting prodigy.

Having grown up immersed in the country sporting scene of Kapunda in SA’s famous Barossa wine region, Brown is not only also adept at Aussie rules and basketball, but she represented Australia at schoolgirls netball competitions.

Tall. Athletic. Fast.

That prodigy status moved her from Kapunda to Adelaide with a netball scholarship to Henley High School and an immense juggle between sport and education commenced, which continues today.

When Brown made her Big Bash League debut in the Covid-hubbed iteration of 2020, she was in the middle of studying for her Year 12 exams.

Finishing high school has given Brown a new-found freedom and it makes sense that she’s enjoying the luxury of now being able to head to restaurants with her Aussie teammates in her downtime from cricket.

“Finishing school has made me feel that I can use my time better. But I’m just really happy to be able to just relax and enjoy playing cricket for the last 12 months,” she says.

During 2021, Brown attempted to juggle university studies (hoping to become a vet nurse), with cricket.

But the gruelling touring schedule faced by cricketers meant she missed out on key practicals in the course and she’s now deferred for a year.

“I would like to do uni again, I was doing animal science,” she said.

“I’d like to go down that path, but I’d rather do it properly than halfhearted.”