WHEN it comes to cricketing heroes, Charlie Hall doesn’t need to look far.
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The six-year-old had a special moment on Sunday when she was among the children to welcome the Hobart Hurricanes WBBL team onto UTAS Stadium.
Among the players was her big sister, Hurricanes captain Sasha Moloney.
Charlie said she is proud to watch Sasha play in the WBBL, and she enjoys taking to the field herself.
“I like cricket because it’s fun to be around your friends, and the game is lots of fun,” Charlie said.
When asked if she would like to follow in her sister’s footsteps, Charlie beamed and nodded her head.
She plays Master Blaster – a form of cricket for junior players that lets them learn the skills of the game.
Master Blaster teams from Latrobe, the North-East and St Helens were invited to the BBL double-header to wave flags on the field as the teams ran out. They then received hats from the Hurricanes players.
The junior players were given the best seats in the house, and behind-the-scenes tours of the stadium.
Larissa Dobson, 10, said it was exciting to see her favourite team up close.
“I like all the players,” she said.
Larissa said cricket was a good way for girls to get outside in the summer.
“I think it’s fun, and it gives you time away from home to have fun outside,” she said.
Jamie Broomhall travelled with his children Kory and Rosie from Railton to enjoy the action, getting in first for some tickets from the Master Blaster program.
The Hobart Hurricanes offer tickets to junior clubs across Tasmania for each home game, opening up the BBL to a new younger audience.
Mr Broomhall said they were an active family, and cricket was a new way for his children to enjoy themselves during the summer.
“They shared an interest in cricket and love it,” Mr Broomhall said.
“Rosie loves it because we have the women’s league now so girls can see that they can reach that level too.
“They don’t do full matches at her age yet, but they learn all the skills.”
He said showing the women’s matches live on television had further encouraged girls to get involved, evident in the growing number of girls playing cricket at his local club.
The women’s team will play the Brisbane Heat at UTAS Stadium again on Monday, while the men’s team will return to Launceston on January 31 to play the Adelaide Strikers.