From backyard battles with her brother to a new chapter with Sydney Thunder, Jemma Barsby’s cricket journey has been shaped by family, a love of the game and a desire to make a difference beyond the boundary.
There are plenty of ways to develop a unique skill in cricket, but Jemma Barsby’s ability to bowl with both her left and right arms has its origins in a familiar Australian setting: the backyard.
Growing up in Queensland in a cricket-loving family, Barsby was surrounded by the game. Her father played cricket, as did her older brother Corey, who would go on to represent Queensland. With that family influence, cricket was never far away, although there was no pressure to follow in their footsteps.
Instead, Barsby simply fell in love with the game.
Speaking to The Cricket Library ahead of the Weber WBBL season, the new Sydney Thunder recruit reflected on those early memories and the family experiences that helped shape her cricket career.
A backyard battle that changed everything
For Barsby, some of her earliest cricket memories involved playing with her older brother and his mates.
There was just one problem: getting her brother out wasn’t easy.
Rather than giving up when she couldn’t dismiss him, Barsby decided to try something different. She switched arms and bowled with her other hand.
Her father was watching from the balcony when he noticed what she had done.
“He was like, ‘You bowl with your other arm?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah,’” Barsby recalled.
His response was simple: she should keep doing it.
Looking back, Barsby credits her brother’s dominance in those backyard contests with helping her develop the unusual skill.
“I’ve got to thank my brother for that, for smacking me around and not being able to get him out,” she joked.
It is a wonderful example of how an unconventional cricketing ability can emerge from the simplest circumstances. What began as a way to compete with an older sibling became one of the distinctive features of Barsby’s game.
A family connection to Queensland cricket
The influence of Barsby’s family extended well beyond the backyard.
Her father was part of Queensland cricket during a celebrated period for the state, while her brother Corey also represented Queensland. Growing up around that environment gave her an early connection to the game and the experience of being part of a team.
Yet Barsby was clear that cricket was always a choice rather than an expectation.
“There was no pressure or expectation to play cricket growing up,” she explained. “They kind of just let us decide if we did want to.”
That freedom allowed her passion to develop naturally. Her earliest memories weren’t necessarily about trophies or individual achievements, but about the enjoyment of playing and the feeling of belonging to a team.
It was that team environment, including her early experiences playing for Sandgate Redcliffe, that helped bring a smile to her face.
A new chapter in green
After wearing several different uniforms throughout her career and experiencing the excitement of WBBL success, Barsby is preparing for a new challenge with Sydney Thunder.
She is enthusiastic about the balance of youth and experience within the squad, believing that combination can be particularly valuable when matches reach their decisive moments.
In T20 cricket, she explained, experience can make a significant difference when the pressure is on.
The move also reunites her with coach Lisa, whom she previously worked with at the Perth Scorchers, while offering the opportunity to share a dressing room with players including Phoebe Litchfield, Heather Knight and Lauren Bell.
Barsby is looking forward to seeing how the group comes together and what it can achieve across the season.
And if a newcomer to the WBBL needs convincing about the entertainment on offer, she already has a player in mind.
Why Laura Harris is the perfect WBBL introduction
Barsby believes Laura Harris is an ideal player to introduce to someone who has never watched women’s Big Bash cricket.
Her recommendation comes after Harris produced a remarkable display during the Spring Challenge, scoring a blistering half century for the Thunder.
Barsby was particularly impressed by Harris’s ability to hit the ball around the ground, including clearing the boundary with unconventional shots.
Her advice to spectators looking for a place to park when Harris is batting was equally memorable: avoid parking anywhere near cow corner.
It is an entertaining reminder of what makes T20 cricket so appealing. In a matter of deliveries, a batter can transform a match and leave spectators wondering what they have just witnessed.
Barsby also identified Nadine de Klerk as another player capable of clearing the boundary when Sydney Thunder need a late surge of runs.
Whack MS for 6: Making a difference beyond cricket
While Barsby is focused on her cricket, she is also committed to using her platform to support a cause that is deeply personal to her.
She established the Whack MS for 6 campaign around the beginning of the previous WBBL season to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition she has lived with since the age of 19.
For Barsby, the campaign is about more than raising awareness. She hopes to generate vital funds to support research and the development of treatments that could help people living with MS enjoy a better quality of life.
She explained that she wants to use the platform she has as a professional cricketer to get people talking about the condition and help more people understand its impact.
It is an important part of her story away from the cricket field. Through Whack MS for 6, Barsby is using her profile in sport to help bring attention to an issue that affects her personally and many others around the world.
Three cricket legends for a dream net session
When asked to choose three people for a dream cricket net session, Barsby kept her selections close to the game.
Her first choice was Ricky Ponting, whose batting, particularly his trademark pull shot, left a lasting impression on her. She also admired his knowledge of cricket and the stories he could share about the game.
Adam Gilchrist was another selection. As a fellow left-hander, Barsby appreciated the way he took the game on and changed the expectations of what an attacking wicketkeeper-batter could achieve.
Her third choice was the late Shane Warne.
For Barsby, Warne’s cricket knowledge and personality would have made him a fascinating companion for a session in the nets.
It is a dream group that combines batting brilliance, tactical insight and the sort of cricketing stories that could keep a conversation going long after the session had finished.
The small things that make a big difference
Preparing for another WBBL season also means managing the demands of professional cricket away from the field.
Barsby highlighted the importance of getting the basics right, particularly when travelling around Australia and dealing with short turnarounds between matches.
Good sleep, effective recovery and eating well are among the small details she believes can make a significant difference over the course of a long season.
Those habits become increasingly important as players look to maintain their performance and give themselves the best possible chance of being at their peak when finals arrive.
And when the pressure is on, Barsby knows the value of having teammates who can deliver.
If Sydney Thunder need to close out a game in the final over, she would be comfortable turning to Laura Harris or Nadine de Klerk with the bat. If the task is to defend a small total, she identified Sam Bates as a player capable of handling crucial overs and helping to see the Thunder come out on top.
A cricketer with plenty of stories to tell
From the backyard contests that helped her learn to bowl with both arms to the challenge of establishing herself in a new WBBL environment, Barsby’s story is one of a cricketer whose journey has been shaped by family, experience and a genuine love of the game.
Her work with Whack MS for 6 also demonstrates how the influence of a professional athlete can extend well beyond runs, wickets and results.
As she begins her Sydney Thunder chapter, there is plenty to look forward to: a new team, familiar faces, exciting teammates and the opportunity to make an impact both on and off the field.
And somewhere in the story of her cricketing journey, there will always be that backyard moment when an older brother proved difficult to dismiss — and a young cricketer decided to try bowling with the other arm.
Sometimes, the most memorable cricket stories begin with a simple decision to do something differently.
