Sixers Beat Thunder as 16-Year-Old Caoimhe Bray Stuns Derby With Hat-Trick

Sydney: On Saturday, Sydney Sixers beat Sydney Thunder by 24 runs in the Women’s Big Bash League 2025 after a fiery derby that turned into a stage for 16-year-old sensation Caoimhe Bray, who produced one of the standout spells of the season.

The Sixers defended 142 for 9 and held Thunder to 118 for 8, but this match will be remembered for Bray’s hat-trick, a moment so chaotic that even she didn’t realise she had done it.

Bray’s Hat-Trick Sparks the Derby

Bray struck with the final ball of her second over. She returned from the opposite end, hit the perfect length on her first ball, and struck again. The hat-trick moment came right after that when Erin Burns launched herself to her right at point and held a spectacular diving catch. The Sixers charged toward Burns, not because they had calculated a hat-trick but because the catch was special on its own. Moments later, the ground announcer revealed the milestone, and the Sixers broke into sheepish laughs as the young quick processed the achievement.

“It’s pretty crazy. I didn’t realise; one of those weird ones at the end of the over,” Bray said. She also admitted the future might force her into a choice. “I want to play sport professionally for as long as I can. Women’s sport is getting more professional. If you want to go to the highest level, you can’t be doing both forever.”

Bray is already juggling two elite pathways, which are fast bowling for the Sixers and goalkeeping for the Junior Matildas. She is the same teenager who hit the winning runs as a 15-year-old on debut last year, and the same player who took a highlight-reel catch earlier this season. Her spell today read 4 for 15, a match-shaping performance in a derby loaded with senior talent.

Sixers Build a Fighting Total

Before Bray lit up the night, the Sixers needed runs. Sophia Dunkley gave them that with a composed 43 off 35 balls. Alyssa Healy threatened to tear open the powerplay with 26 off 15, but Thunder held firm. Mady Villiers added important late runs with an unbeaten 24, and the Sixers reached 142, not a massive target, but enough on a pitch that held for the slower bowlers.

New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr missed the match after a quad injury in the warm-up, and the Sixers will assess her over the next 24 hours.

Thunder Collapses Before Finn Fights Back

Thunder’s chase was derailed early. The top and middle order struggled to pick length, shape, or momentum. Maitlan Brown backed Bray with a sharp spell, and Thunder slid to 49 for 7.

Debutant Lucy Finn refused to surrender. The 18-year-old struck 49 not out from 34 balls and kept the scoreboard moving with smart placement and late aggression. She also took 1 for 27 earlier, removing Ashleigh Gardner. But her fight only softened the margin. Thunder finished at 118 for 8 and slipped to their third straight defeat, joining Brisbane Heat at the bottom.

The night belonged to Bray, who walked off smiling, still processing the moment that lit up the Sydney derby.