Six-hitting for fun, nurse by passion: The Laura Harris story

The roles of nursing and cricket have reversed in the Delhi Capitals batter's life over the past few years

Laura Harris: 'Cricket is just an easy, relaxing, fun thing to be doing with some of your mates.' (Photo | Delhi Capitals)

CHENNAI: The world is yet to see Laura Harris set the Women's Premier League stage on fire. To say that the Queenslander is quite possibly the biggest six-hitter in the women's game at the moment would not be an understatement. For Laura, the length and line would often seem irrelevant. The right-hander has the innate ability to get into position quickly and bludgeon the white ball with her fast hands at any given point in time.

If there are any doubts, take a look at the numbers. A career strike rate of 155.8 in the Women's Big Bash League across 107 games. In the last three seasons, it goes up to 184.2. And it is not just the T20 format. In the last three years of WNCL (Women's National Cricket League), she struck at 179.93, with the 2022-23 season seeing her smash 411 runs in 12 innings at a SR of 204.47. While her sister, Grace is shining in the limelight at UP Warriorz, Laura is waiting for a chance to show what she can do.

Admittedly, the fact that Grace can bowl a bit of off-spin gives her an edge to make the playing XI over Laura, who is at Delhi Capitals as a primary middle-order batter. And just like Grace, Laura also sees sport as entertainment.

After all, the Queensland batter's true passion lies in nursing. For the better part of the past decade, the 32-year-old was primarily an emergency nurse while playing cricket as a "time away from nursing". While things have reversed to an extent at the moment, with Laura playing in WPL, The Hundred, Super Smash and WBBL, the last few years, especially the pandemic, has put things in perspective for her.

When the pandemic broke out, Laura, along with her Queensland teammate Georgia Redmayne, found herself in the frontline of things. "I think Covid definitely tested a fair bit," says Laura.

"And like this period, where I would say I have taken cricket far too seriously, being concerned with selection or whatever, at the end of the day, it's just a game, like we're super privileged to be part of it. And yes, it means different things to different people. But I think for me, cricket is just an easy, relaxing, fun thing to be doing with some of your mates. The nursing side probably at times is a little bit more stressful. It's something that keeps you very grounded or makes you definitely surround yourself with good people."

"I guess I'm probably lucky enough that I'm not there quite so often at the minute or obviously enjoying this cricket space that nursing has taken a back seat. I use it at the minute, probably more as time away from cricket. I would say I miss it when I am not doing it, but when you go back, you could go back after a year and it still feels like you left yesterday. On the most part, I am caught in the middle at the minute."

Given her hitting ability, Laura is one of the most sought-after batters in all the franchise leagues. As much as she is enjoying her time travelling around the world and playing cricket, the 32-year-old believes nursing is something she would be looking forward to eventually. "I think it's something that I have always loved and had a passion for, I really enjoy the satisfaction that comes with looking after people or feeling like you've made that difference."

"I'm in the world, which I guess is just another way like cricket is the entertainment side for me. Like if you hit sixes and then people want to hit sixes or watch how you play a set shot, you know, whether it's a reverse or hitting back down over the bowler's head or that again, if it changes the mindset of someone or makes them enjoy life a little bit more then I'm all for it and will be trying my hardest to try and be involved in that. So, I think that side people care, I guess, for me is the nursing part. But yeah, at the same time I have been looking at other things. I am someone who probably gets a little bit bored doing the same thing over and over again. So, it's another little side hustle probably in the future."

At the moment, Laura is enjoying her time at the WPL, having all the spicy Indian food she could while preparing herself for an opportunity that might come her way. And there is still a chance she will set the stage on fire. If and when that happens, the world would know that the 32-year-old is more than just a six-hitting machine.