Hamilton takes to the international stage

Horley teenager Naomi Hamilton has made her full international cricket debut, playing for Thailand in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai.

Initially, Hamilton (15), who plays for Sussex Under-16s, got the call-up for the ICC Under-19s Women’s T20 Asia World Cup qualifying tournament, in Malaysia in July. She was picked after her mum Jan, who is from Thailand, asked if she could try out for team while they were on a family holiday there in April.

“I was not expecting to play straight away,” Hamilton said. “I was excited about the opportunity to play in different conditions in a different country and to meet new people.

“I was the youngest, but there were others who were 16. They were all really friendly.”

She helped the Under-19s beat Bhutan, Myanmar and Kuwait in their group, then Bhutan again in the third-place playoff after losing to Malaysia in the semi-final, and she was not out three times. Then, soon after returning home, Hamilton got the call-up to the full Thai side for the Asia Cup.

“That was a complete surprise,” she said. “I thought I would just be staying in the under-19s.”

She and Jan flew out to Dubai, where Thailand beat Hong Kong then lost to both India and Pakistan. Batting in the lower middle-order, Hamilton understandably found the standard a massive step up and was out cheaply, but she returned home having learned a huge amount and with an appetite to continue her international career.

“It was just overwhelming – the whole occasion – but it was also really fun. Playing in the big stadium was so different. It was a really good experience. It has inspired me to try to get better – I have seen the standard I have to meet.”

Hamilton took up cricket with Horley Cricket Club when she was about eight and played for the age group teams and then the ladies, until she moved up to a higher standard of club cricket with Burgess Hill this year. She has been in the Sussex pathway programme since 2022.

Although she had her sights set on playing for England, Thai women’s cricket has been growing in strength and since 2024 Hamilton has been wondering if she might get a chance there. 

Now it has all happened so fast and she is keen to stay involved. “The coaches were really good. They have helped me identify weak points in my game which I can now improve further. I am looking forward to playing for the team again, whenever that may be.”