Born in Caboolture, Queensland, McDermott is the son of Australian Test cricketerCraig McDermott and is the younger brother of Alister McDermott. The McDermott family moved to the Gold Coast when McDermott was seven years of age and the two siblings began playing junior cricket for Runaway Bay and Broadbeach.[2] McDermott made his first XI debut for The Southport School in year 9 and made a remarkable double-hundred for the Gold Coast Dolphins at under-17 level.[3] He also represented Australia in Youth One Day Internationals at Under-19 level[4] and played alongside his brother in the 2014 Prime Minister's XI match against England.[5]
Cricket career
McDermott made his Twenty20 debut on 18 January 2014[6] for the Brisbane Heat against Adelaide Strikers, scoring 30 runs. On 12 January 2017, while playing for the Hobart Hurricanes against the Melbourne Renegades in the 2016–17 Big Bash League season, he claimed his maiden T20 century by scoring 114 runs off 52 balls, including 9 sixes and 8 fours. This was also third-fastest century in the Big Bash League.[7] He was awarded the player of the match as he helped the Hurricanes chase down 223 to defeat the Renegades in what was the highest scoring Big Bash match at the time.[8]
Ahead of the 2019–20 Marsh One-Day Cup, McDermott was named as one of the six cricketers to watch during the tournament.[15]
On 16 July 2020, McDermott was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17] In June 2021, he was named in Australia's ODI squad for their tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.[18][19] McDermott made his ODI debut on 20 July 2021, for Australia against the West Indies.[20]
In December 2021, McDermott became the first player to hit back to back centuries in the Big Bash League and also the first player to hit three centuries in the Big Bash League.[21]
In March 2022, in the second match against Pakistan, McDermott scored his first century in ODI cricket, with 104 runs, but Pakistan won the match.[22][23]