Sydney Sixers teen sensation Caoimhe Bray wants to play elite cricket and soccer for as long as possible, still pinching herself she is following Ellyse Perry's path.
Bray, 16, captured headlines again on Saturday night when she became the youngest player to take a hat-trick in any of the main women's T20 leagues.
Still on modified training in cricket given her age, Bray remains in junior Matildas camps and has played as a goalkeeper in the national U17 side.
Injury restricted her involvement with soccer last winter, while Bray has prioritised the WBBL over the A-League Women competition after signing a three-year deal with the Sixers.
The NSW product has conceded she will likely need to choose a sport at some point, but believes there is no need to make a decision imminently.
"I have to commit myself to the cricket for the summer part of the season. And when winter comes around, that's when soccer comes back," Bray said.
"So many people are asking the question will you still be playing soccer or still be playing cricket. People have their own opinions, like 'go into cricket, surely'.
"But so much can change. I have the three years signed with the Sixers and so much can change over that period.
"If you don't know the future, neither do I. I don't know what it will be like in a few years. But I am going to try and stick to (doing both) as much as I can."
Bray's situation is eerily similar to Perry's, who famously played in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup for Australia while also playing international cricket.
The teenager said she was still pinching herself to be sharing a field with the allrounder, and doing her best not to bug the 35-year-old too much.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bray is that her rise has come on largely modified programs.
The seamer only did two days a week at NSW training in the pre-season, rather than four, and is still kept from bowling 10 overs in a 50-over game.
"There were things during the Breakers pre-season I didn't do compared to others, just because of my age," Bray said.
"It was just like there is no point for you to do it. They said: 'you are changing so much in terms of height and body'.
"You don't want to overwork too much because that is when you break down. They are trying to look out for that."
