Around that time, Tasmania came into the WT20 competition, the precursor to the WBBL, and they were looking for players from other states to add some depth. My name was put forward and when I was asked to come down it felt like a no-brainer.

Playing in Tassie was very different. In NSW you had all the support and facilities you could ever want. To get to Tasmania and play in the fledgling women’s system was a bit of an eye-opener. Things were pretty basic, but they were so welcoming to us inter-staters.

I played my cricket in Tasmania for the next eight seasons and had some of the best times, both on and off the field, down there. Tassie is where my love of the game grew, not necessarily through success, we were well and truly the underdogs, but the friendships, community and support from within the group was something that was incredibly special for me.

When I finished my studies and got a job in Sydney, I came to a bit of a crossroad. I’d been travelling back and forth to Tassie, whilst training remotely in Sydney. The women’s game had started to take off domestically with the MOU negotiations meaning that more money had been funnelled into women’s cricket, and the increased pay meant more time was needed to be spent in your chosen state. It became clear that I couldn’t continue the back and forth, so the time came to keep things local.

Eventually, I made the decision to stay in Sydney and made the switch to the Sixers, which was a whole new challenge and incredibly important for me. I was able to play, work and live all in one place, which felt like a luxury.

I felt this change enabled me to be able to train regularly as a part of a squad for the first time in my senior career, and I felt this pushed my game to the next level. After a while, I started hearing whispers about potential Aussie squad tours, but shrugged it off; after all cricket is a small world and Chinese whispers isn’t uncommon.

Then, last year, I got the call to play in the Governor-General’s XI which was an amazing experience and not one I necessarily thought was on the cards. A few months later, I was selected to play in the Aus A team which toured England alongside the Aussie girls whilst the Women’s Ashes was being played.

When I got home, I settled back into normal life, family, work, paying bills, and then got a call to say there was an Aussie tour to the West Indies – I didn’t even know there was one coming up – and I was on the injury replacement list.

I was told it was very unlikely I’d be required, so I didn’t get overly excited, but I thought I should tell my boss at the physio clinic I’ve worked at for the past seven years, just in case.

‘You don’t have to have a heart attack just yet’, I said. ‘I know I’ve just come back from a month in England – and before that I got married and had a month away on honeymoon – but, just so you know, I’ve had this phone call’. A couple of days later, I was told I was going to the West Indies. It was all a bit of a dream really, and that’s how the last 12 months or so has been.

I know Dad would be proud 

I’m 31 now and playing for Australia in this massive tournament in front of packed stadiums. Like all my teammates, I’d always just played cricket for the love of it. I’d never thought of it becoming a career because that option simply wasn’t there when I started my career.

It was just something you did because it was fun, you made good friends and you could never beat the feeling of being out on the ground doing something that makes you so happy.

It’s how Dad lived his life and it’s the attitude I’ll keep with me, savouring the moment, appreciating what’s around me and doing my best.

I’m sure there will be moments out there, in front of the world, when I’ll think about how much Dad did to help me get there. It’s been nice to hear family members saying lately, ‘Your dad would be so proud’. I’m sure he would be.

And, I’m sure there will be at least a moment or two when I’ll imagine Keith walking up to our captain Meg Lanning, tapping her on the shoulder and saying, ‘Hey, you going to put Ez up the order?’