TWO days ago Carly Leeson was sitting in an exam room finishing her final HSC exam.
Next month, Leeson will swap her books for a bat after picking up a Women’s Big Bash League contract with the Sydney Sixers.
At 17, the Maclean product couldn’t be happier to go from the classroom to the most exciting women’s cricket competition in Australia within a matter of weeks.
“It’s really exciting and I can’t wait to start,” Leeson told The Daily Telegraph.
“I guess it’s good because I’ve moved straight from one chapter of my life to the next one pretty much straight away.
“I’ve been so focused on study the last year or so, it’s good to relax and focus on something new.
“It’s also relief, because it was something I’d been striving for.”
Leeson may be perceived as a surprise pick up by the Sixers, but her cricketing pedigree can’t be questioned.
Spotted as a 12-year-old, her career quickly blossomed with selection in the NSW under 15’s at just one year later.
This paved the way for Leeson to become a member of the Shooting Stars in 2015 for their tour of Sri Lanka, while she is currently a member of the NSW Women’s under 18’s squad and the NSW Women’s High Performance Academy.
She was also awarded the Female Country Cricketer for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016.
Despite her achievements, Leeson was still shocked when she got the call-up to become the youngest member of the Sixers squad for this season.
“I’d say yes I was surprised, just due to the fact that I haven’t been in Sydney yet,” she said.
“Being in Sydney takes people a lot further, a lot quicker – in terms of playing grade cricket and playing with experienced women on a regular basis.
“So it was definitely a surprise coming this soon while I’m still living in the country.
“I think it will sink in when I get down to Sydney and move out of home.
“It will be a different lifestyle to the country – I think Sydney traffic will be my main problem.”
Leeson will move to Sydney early next month and has big goals, on and off the cricket field.
On top of her cricketing aspirations, she also wants to study law at university.
Until then, Leeson is fully focused on learning from her experienced teammates like Lisa Sthalekar.
“There are a lot of people in the team with international experience, so it’s definitely going to be a big learning time,” she said.
“I think everyone has aspirations to play for their country one day, so this will be a good building block for that.”
Sixers mentor Ben Sawyer previously coached Leeson in the NSW under 18’s ranks, so he understands her ability.
“I was lucky enough to be Carly’s U18s NSW coach a few seasons back and was instantly impressed with her skills across all facets of the game,” Sawyer said.
“Carly is a hard hitting middle order bat, medium pace bowler and exceptional fielder, making her tailor made to the T20 game.
“I am really looking forward to seeing her in action against the world’s best female cricketers this summer.”
The Sixers start their WBBL 02 campaign on Sunday 11 December at North Sydney Oval against the Brisbane Heat.