Salliann Beams has been around elite level cricket long enough to know when she can see something special.
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The Hobart Hurricanes WBBL coach didn't say it lightly when she declared Bendigo's Tayla Vlaeminck a "superstar".
Vlaeminck only recently celebrated her 23rd birthday and, after a string of injuries hampered her career, her form for the Hurricanes in this summer's WBBL proved that cricket fans have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her talent.
Despite playing limited competitive cricket going into the tournament, Vlaeminck took 13 wickets, had a brilliant economy rate of 6.06 and, importantly, played every game.
Deservedly, she was named in the WBBL Team of the Tournament.
"Everyone wants to come and watch the pace that Tay has got,'' Beams said.
"She's different. In women's cricket you don't see a lot of players that can bowl at that speed.
"It looks like a hard-fought contest when Tay is bowling and that's exciting.
"The other thing is she's been so fantastic for this group. She's a superstar of a human being.
"She wants to work hard, she wants to learn the craft of her game and she's always trying to find ways to improve.
"She's so supportive and helpful for the youngsters and the senior players in this team.
"She's so passionate about winning and she's incredibly competitive. She has every characteristic you want in a team-mate and that's why she's so well liked.
"She's such a great kid. Well, she's not a kid anymore."
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Beams was pleasantly surprised that Vlaeminck played as many games as she did in the WBBL.
"Tay came into the program (with guidance) from CA (Cricket Australia) that she mightn't be able to play as many games as she did,'' Beams said.
"She found a rhythm and got some momentum. What we saw was because she bowled so frequently and regularly she just got better and better.
"She managed her body really well. It was fantastic to see her play as many games as she did and to see her get better as the tournament wore on."
Vlaeminck had the pressure of bowling during the powerplay.
While there's been a trend in world T20 cricket to utilise spinners during that first six overs, Vlaeminck's speed and ability to move the ball proved to be vital for the Hurricanes.
"The key thing in any T20 team is you want a good balance between your bowlers,'' Beams said.
"The number one thing you want is someone with pace. In the powerplay, Tay is a match-up for anyone with her pace, swing and aggression and she competes against any type of player.
"She took wickets, she built pressure and she bowled a lot of dot balls.
"Those dot balls can be surprising sometimes with an out and out quick because sometimes they can lose control. Tay built pressure with her speed."
Vlaeminck built pressure and dismissed some of the best players in the world.
Australian stars Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney, Kiwi big-hitter Sophie Devine and England's Eve Jones were among Vlaeminck's hit list.
"She scares most players whether you've played 100 internationals or just a few,'' Beams said.
"They know you have to be on your game if you're going to compete with Tay."
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After a strong WBBL season with Hobart, Vlaeminck returns to her home state to represent Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League.
Beams said Vlaeminck's best form with the ball was still to come.
"Managing her body is important because she needs to be playing consistently,'' Beams said.
"We saw that through this tournament. You have to get the balance right and I think you learn that the older you get.
"I think what will really help from a performance point of view is working on her run-up.
"I believe if she can become a little bit more aligned, her release point will become more consistent and, therefore, her control will improve.
"With bowlers that bowl at extreme pace you don't want to waste a single ball. You want to ask questions all the time.
"If Tay can work on that alignment she will be a world-beater.....she's going to be number one on that Australian list for a long time."
Beams said don't be surprised to see Vlaeminck work her way up the batting order, certainly with the Hurricanes and maybe even the Australian team one day.
"I can see her going from a lower-order player to a genuine middle-order player,'' Beams said.
"She loves batting, you can't get the bat out of her hands. She's consistently working on her batting. That's what you want, you don't want the bowlers to think their job is done just with the ball.
"She can clear the rope. She hit some good sixes for us. She works on her game so you can see her becoming a genuine all-rounder and making a valuable contribution with the bat."
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