France international Ines Mckeon was one of the stars of an eventful first day of the 2024/25 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).
The opening day saw Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers all register victories and several previously unheralded players take the headlines.
The most eye-catching debut was that of Caoimhe Bray, a Sixers all-rounder who only turned 15 last month and is also an international football prospect having already represented Australia U17s as a goalkeeper.
She enjoyed an action-packed debut, dismissing West Indies great Deandra Dottin with a pinpoint yorker before applying the finishing touches to a tricky chase, scoring an unbeaten five-ball 12 from No.9.
Her partner at the end of the chase, Scotland's Sarah Bryce, finished unbeaten on 36 after Ellyse Perry had earlier hit 81 off 38 deliveries to get the Sixers going in their chase of 179 against the Renegades. The Sixers eventually got themselves over the line with six deliveries remaining in the innings.
The third fixture of the day was another nail-biter with the Scorchers prevailing despite only putting up a total of 122 against the Melbourne Stars.
Teenage quick Chloe Ainsworth claimed two key wickets in the second innings, those of former Australia captain Meg Lanning and Stars skipper Annabel Sutherland. Australia leg-spinner Alana King then turned the screws on the Stars' run chase, taking 3-20 as the Scorchers won by 13 runs.
The only player to pass 10 for the Stars was 17-year-old opening batter Ines Mckeon. Mckeon, on WBBL debut, hit 50 of the 109 runs Melbourne scored, including five fours and two sixes. Her second six, which took her from 43 to 49, was a particularly firmly struck blow, comfortably clearing the ropes.
Mckeon is an Australia U19 international, representing them earlier this year in a tri-series against Sri Lanka and England in the weeks before her 17th birthday.
She is also a full international, having represented France in 16 T20Is, all in 2023. Highlights of her international career thus far include a half-century against a Scotland side who qualified for this year's T20 World Cup and a score of 94 against Sweden. Mckeon was born in Australia and still qualifies to play for them given that France are an Associate nation.
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