Brianna Ray On Cricket Journey And More
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Pioneering cricketer Brianna Ray has set her sights on becoming the first woman to play in Cup Match.
Ray, who last year became the first woman to feature in Somerset Cricket Club’s final Cup Match trial and in Colt Cup Match, has been playing for Somerset’s men’s team domestically this season.
The seam bowler said she is relishing the challenge of testing herself in the men’s game and believes her performances are improving under Somerset coach and Cup Match legend Janeiro Tucker — the most prolific batter in the annual Classic’s history.
“Every Bermudian cricketer wants to play Cup Match – it’s huge,” Ray told Bernews.
“Moving to Somerset has been a big shift. Janeiro’s so professional and it’s been a positive challenge.
“He’s one of the main reasons I moved to Somerset.”
The 22-year-old moved from Flatts Victoria, where she made her debut in the Premier Division 50-over competition last season, to Somerset, making her maiden appearance in the T20 Knockout Cup this summer.
“When you’re constantly playing with players better than you, who are challenging you, and respect you, and want to learn from you, it can only help,” she said.
“I just love to play, and the Somerset men’s players support me one hundred per cent and want to see me do well.”
Ray, who is studying to become an actuary after earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Loughborough University in England, said she hopes to inspire the next generation of Bermudian women cricketers.
“I want the next generation of female players to have the avenues I felt I didn’t have when I was coming through,” she said.
“I’d love to be able to wear a Bermuda women’s jersey, but I don’t feel the Bermudian game is in a place where that’s possible for me.
“However, I’ve been doing a lot of work with Richard Todd, one of my early mentors, and Janeiro to try and get some girls’ youth tournaments going.”
Ray, who left Bermuda in 2018 on a sports scholarship to enrol at Sedbergh School in Cumbria, was part of the Loughborough side that won the British Universities and Colleges Sport Women’s Cricket Championship, defeating the University of Exeter at Lord’s in 2024.
She was selected as a substitute fielder for the women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge and performed the same role when England played Pakistan in a limited-overs series in 2023.
Ray also honed her skills at Lancashire and Nottinghamshire Blaze women, training with their first-team squads before heading to Australia to play A Grade women’s cricket for South Perth.
“I was playing high-level women’s cricket in the UK, training every day and aiming for a professional contract,” Ray said.
“I left that set-up after finishing university and headed out to Australia to play men’s grade four and women’s grade one.
“Heading to Australia gave me time to figure out what I wanted to do next.
“I’m enjoying being back in Bermuda and still love playing cricket.
“I’d love to win some trophies with Somerset this season. The team has a lot of talent, so that’s something I’d like to achieve.”
