Bridget Patterson’s cricketing career has made big jumps since her first turn with the bat on the school playground.
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She grew up on a lavender farm at Emu Bay, near Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, and started playing cricket at nine-years-old.
Now 21, she opens the batting for the Adelaide Strikers in the Women’s Big Bash League.
“I started playing sports with the boys at school; we’d play at recess and lunch,” she said.
She was involved in the SA Primary Schools Amateur Sports Association, but at the time was not allowed to compete in the boy’s team.
“I’d train with the guys on KI, but when it came time for them to go away, I wouldn't be allowed to go play,” she said.
From there she was contacted by the SA Cricketing Association.
“I didn't know where was such a thing as a girl’s competition, but I tried out for the under 13s team,” she said.
“I wasn't really expecting anything, but I got chosen.”
She then represented the state in the under 13s, 15s, 17s and 18s girls squads.
In 2013, Bridget was selected by the state cricket team, the Scorpions, and moved to Adelaide.
Outside of cricket, Bridget is finishing off an apprenticeship in grounds-keeping.
“I can’t imagine myself being in an office,” she said. “Maybe it’s because of growing up on a farm, it’s similar in a way.”
The Adelaide Strikers play their first home game on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval, in a televised double header with the men’s team.
They will back up to play the Perth Scorchers on Adelaide Oval again on Friday, before returning to Adelaide Oval again on January 15-17 for matches against Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades.
Bridget considers the move into the WBBL a big step for the code, having previously played in the 50-over and Twenty20 versions of the game with the Scorpions.
“This is really exciting, I wouldn't have expected it when I first started playing,” she said. “The women’s game is moving forward extremely fast.”
She had a feeling big things were afoot, but hadn't expected televised games to happen in the first season.
“With the BBL so huge, I’d like to think the WBBL could get to even half that eventually,” she said.
Bridget was part of the Scorpions team playing Twenty20 on New Years Eve last year as a curtain raiser to the BBL, which had a strong crowd of 6000.
She has been surprised with the size of the crowds at the games so far, but is optimistic they will grow even more in 2016.
Bridget returned to KI for Christmas but said with work and training commitments it can be hard to go home. “It’s almost like I go from one job to another,” she said.
“But I wouldn't count playing cricket as a job, that’s how much I love it.”
