Lauren Ebsary

Lauren Kaye Ebsary (born 15 March 1983) is an Australian cricketer. Primarily a batter, she is a former member of the Australia national women's cricket team.

Ebsary made her senior debut for South Australia in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) during the 2000–01 season at the age of 18. Although she played in every match in her first season, she was shielded from much of the action and made only six runs. Ebsary was selected in every match in her first three seasons, but in that time, scored only 136 runs at a batting average of 8.50 and took 13 wickets from 24 matches. The following year, Ebsary raised her career average above 10 for the first time and was selected in the Australian Under-23 team. In 2004–05 she made more than 100 runs in a season for the first time, and the following year she made 149 runs at 29.80. In 2006–07, she struggled and totalled only 101 runs at 14.42 and took three wickets, and after the season she transferred to Western Australia. The change of state yielded dividends in the 2007–08 season, as she made 236 runs and took eight wickets, her highest aggregate of runs and wickets in one tournament.

At the start of the 2008–09 season, Ebsary gained selection to the Australian national team and made her One Day International (ODI) debut in the home series against India. She made 37 runs at 18.50, and after scoring 207 runs in the WNCL season, was retained in the national team. After making her ODI top-score of 86 in the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand, she was selected for the 2009 World Cup, but was in and out of the team, making 106 runs at 35.33. In June 2009, she played in all of Australia's matches at the 2009 World Twenty20 and made her Test debut against England in a bilateral series after the World Twenty20. Ebsary scored 211 runs during the 2009–10 WNCL season to retain her position in the national squad for the Rose Bowl series, but after a series of poor performances, she spent the latter half of the campaign watching from the sidelines.

Early years Born in Snowtown, South Australia, Lauren Ebsary was one of four children—two boys and two girls—of Peter and Kaye Ebsary. She made her debut against reigning champions New South Wales, and after not batting, took one wicket for the loss of six runs (1/6) from two overs as South Australia lost by seven wickets. In the next match of the double-header the next day, she took 0/15 from two overs and was run out for a duck in her maiden senior innings in a 22-run loss.

During the 2001–02 WNCL, Ebsary played in all eight matches, and was given more responsibility. This season, she batted in seven innings and bowled 51 of a maximum possible 80 overs. In the first match of the season, she took 3/29 from 10 overs against the titleholders New South Wales,

Ebsary was 18 during the season and still eligible for the Under-19s and she represented her state during the tournament, which was held in the middle of a break in the WNCL. but was given less responsibility with the ball and had little success. She bowled only 23 overs and took two wickets at 34.00. She also had little effect with the bat, scoring 63 runs at 11.50 with a best score of 18. Up to this point her batting average in 16 completed innings was 8.37. She played in three matches for Australia Youth against New Zealand A at the end of the season, scoring 29 runs at 29.00 and taking three wickets at 16.66 at an economy rate of 4.54.

Ebsary had more difficult times in the 2006–07 WNCL season. She took only three wickets at 60.33 and an economy rate of 5.14, the worst average and economy rate she had recorded for a WNCL season. She never took more than one wicket in any match. Her batting also regressed, making 101 runs at 14.42, more than half coming in a 51 against New South Wales in the last match of the season.

International debut

Ebsary was rewarded with international selection for the five-match One Day International ODI series against India at the start of the 2008–09 Australian season.

Bowling in the middle of the innings, she then took 1/17 from five overs, her maiden wicket being Thirush Kamini caught behind by wicket-keeper Jodie Fields for one run, leaving India at 5/71 in the 26th over. helping to set up a 118-run win. In the final match, she took 1/13 from four overs, taking the wicket of leading Indian batsman Mithali Raj and was not required to bat in a seven-wicket win. She ended her debut series with 37 runs at 18.50 and two wickets at 34.50 at an economy rate of 3.83. Ebsary made 34 and 25 in her two T20 matches for the season, but had no success with the ball, conceding a total of 36 runs from three overs without taking a wicket. Ebsary was left out of the final Super Six match against England, which Australia won, She ended the tournament with 44 runs at 22.00.

2009–2010 season The WNCL was expanded in 2009–10 with the addition of the Australian Capital Territory, so ten round-robin matches were scheduled, and Ebsary played in all, scoring 211 runs at 21.10. After being wicketless the previous season, she took seven wickets at 31.28, although opposition batsmen did attack her bowling, scoring 5.17 runs per over. scoring 137 runs at 22.83 and taking four wickets at 26.25 at an economy rate of 7.50. She also scored 29 and took 2/14 in a win over the Australian Capital Territory on 11 December 2009. was dropped for the fifth and final match as the hosts took a clean sweep. The ODIs were followed by three T20 matches at Bellerive Oval in Hobart and two more in New Zealand. She was overlooked for the three ODIs in New Zealand, which the tourists swept.

Personal life Ebsary's nickname is "Beep". She has said that "when I was little my uncle used to press on my nose and go 'beep' and it just stuck, I even went to kindy and thought that was my real name!"