Australia have long been a dominant force in women’s cricket, with a system that continues to nurture exceptional talent. One of the brightest players to emerge from this pathway is Phoebe Litchfield. Phoebe grew up in Orange, a regional town in central western New South Wales, where her father Andrew played a major role in shaping her cricketing journey. A local veterinarian and former Sydney grade cricketer, Andrew also ran the female academy for Cricket NSW in the western region, and it was under his guidance that Phoebe’s natural hand-eye coordination became evident from a very young age.
At just 14, she was already testing herself against senior men by playing grade cricket alongside her father. Facing experienced fast bowlers on lively pitches gave her an early edge in resilience and technique. A year later she had progressed to first-grade men’s cricket in Orange and earned a place in the Australian Under-19 women’s team. She was also excelling at hockey and even named in the Australian Under-16 squad, but when the two commitments clashed, she made the choice to fully pursue cricket.
Her breakthrough moment in the public eye came in 2019 when footage of her batting during a net session with New South Wales went viral. At only 16, her clean stroke play created a stir across the cricketing community and marked her out as one of the most exciting young players in the country. Soon after, she was offered a contract with the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League.
For the next couple of years, she balanced the demands of professional cricket with her studies by moving to Sydney. Her international career took off quickly. Litchfield made her T20I debut against India in late 2022 and followed it up with an impressive start in ODIs in 2023. Her performances earned her the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award in 2023 and confirmed her status as one of the brightest young batters in world cricket.
On the domestic and franchise circuit, she continued to build her reputation. With Sydney Thunder she became a central figure in their batting unit, while overseas opportunities with the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and Gujarat in the Women’s T20 League added further polish to her game. The 2025 edition of The Hundred marked a career-defining chapter, as Litchfield produced a string of commanding innings that not only guided the Superchargers to their first-ever title but also earned her the Most Valuable Player award.
