WBBL previews: Thunder look to Kapp, Matthews could inspire Renegades

Adelaide Strikers

Tristan Lavalette

Captain Tahlia McGrath
Coach Luke Williams

Squad Georgia Adams (England), Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Danielle Gibson (England), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Anesu Mushangwe, Courtney Neale, Annie O'Neil, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Ella Wilson, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)

After a first title last season, Strikers understandably emphasised retaining their core. They expectedly retained South Africa star Laura Wolvaardt who returns to Adelaide for the fourth straight season. She is likely to again bat in the top order. Strikers also drafted England allrounder Dani Gibson, who will make her WBBL debut this season after her emergence during the Ashes. The 22-year-old is an aggressive cricketer, who bowls quickly and offers firepower with the bat.

Having agonisingly finished runners-up twice, Strikers finally went all the way last season and will start their title defence as perhaps the team to beat. The bulk of the title-winning team remains intact, but Strikers will miss West Indian Deandra Dottin who was the player of the final after a stellar performance with bat and ball. They will also be without wicketkeeper Tegan McPharlin, who has retired, with Bridget Patterson asked to take the gloves this season in what looms as something of a gamble. But it's a squad brimming with talent across the board and Strikers especially boast a loaded attack led by spearheads Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown. Legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington will again be the frontline spinner with English recruit Georgia Adams set to provide an offspin option and she's also a versatile batter. Strikers should be in for another title-contending season.

It's hard to go past Tahlia McGrath. She's Strikers' inspirational captain and has blossomed into an international star, boasting the highest batting average in women's T20I history. McGrath had entered the Australian season with extra motivation after a relatively lean Ashes campaign with the bat. McGrath, the world's top-ranked T20I batter, rediscovered her belligerent best against West Indies with a couple of trademark whirlwind knocks to suggest the travails of the UK are in the rear-view. She's also a quality seam bowler and her tactical nous is well regarded. It all means that McGrath will again shoulder a heavy burden for Strikers.

Brisbane Heat

Tristan Lavalette

Captain Jess Jonassen
Coach Ashley Noffke

Squad Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Sarah Glenn (England, replacement), Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Bess Heath (England), Mikayla Hinkley, Ellie Johnston, Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

Heat predictably retained New Zealand legspinner Amelia Kerr with their platinum pick and she returns for a fourth season in Brisbane. But Kerr will miss the first four games of Heat's campaign. They also selected England batter Bess Heath, who joins Heat after previously being with Melbourne Stars. Former South Africa batter Mignon du Preez was the marquee recruit for Heat through the direct nomination route having skipped the overseas player draft. Du Preez is the second-highest run-scorer in WBBL history among overseas players with 2292 runs at 28.29 and a strike-rate of 113.80 having previously played for Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars.

After a heartbreaking defeat to eventual champions Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger final, Heat will be hoping their relatively youthful squad can take another step forward as they eye a first title since back-to-back triumphs in WBBL 04 and 05. England star Danni Wyatt and India allrounder Pooja Vastrakar have departed, but Heat believe they have batting depth. Du Preez and Heath should fit nicely around top-order batters Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris, while 20-year-old Georgia Voll is tipped to have a breakout season. Their bowling attack perhaps isn't quite as potent as some of the other leading teams though there is much anticipation over left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, who was part of Australia's team at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. England legspinner Sarah Glenn will cover the early season absence of Kerr, who is part of New Zealand's current tour of South Africa.

For this relatively inexperienced group, the calming influence of skipper Jess Jonassen will be vitally important for a Heat team with big ambitions. She'll also be relied upon to be a fulcrum of the attack with her versatile left-arm spin capable of being utilised at any stage of the innings. Throw in her batting capabilities late in the innings, it's little wonder why she's one of the most respected players in Australian cricket.

Hobart Hurricanes

Alex Malcolm

Captain Elyse Villani
Coach Jude Coleman

Squad Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Emma Manix-Greeves, Amy Smith, Bryony Smith (England), Rachel Trenaman, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani

Hurricanes were a big beneficiary of the chaos at the top of the draft. With Thunder, Renegades and Scorchers all chasing the big-name allrounders, they were able to lock in Shabnim Ismail to bolster their attack despite Ismail being a retention option for Renegades. They then looked slightly left-field taking English offspinning allrounder Bryony Smith despite her limited international experience. But she had a solid Hundred tournament and opened the batting alongside Lizelle Lee at Trent Rockets. Lee bypassed the WBBL draft to be a direct signing for Hurricanes. Lee and Smith shared three 60-plus opening stands in the Hundred this season and could be reunited at the top of the order for Hurricanes if captain Elyse Villani bats down the order, as she did in five matches last season.

Despite Hurricanes and Tasmania's WNCL programs being closely linked together Hurricanes have not been able to match Tasmania's recent domestic success although they did make the finals last year after a dismal run over the previous five seasons. They have a solid core of experienced players without any out-and-out superstars. Lee, Villani, Heather Graham, Nicola Carey and Smith will form the backbone of the batting. Graham and Carey bowl a lot of the key overs along with spin duo Molly Strano and Maisy Gibson. Ismail's inclusion adds some firepower to the attack and could make them very dangerous. They have enough talent to be a threat.

Shabnim Ismail could be a difference maker for Hurricanes. She is still bowling very well despite retiring from international cricket in May. She is only eight months removed from taking 2 for 26 in the T20 World Cup final at home against Australia. She didn't bring her best for Renegades last summer but she has a history of delivering in the WBBL. She was pivotal in Sydney Thunder's title in 2020, taking 2 for 12 including the wickets of her new Hurricanes captain Villani and Australia captain Meg Lanning to be named player of the match. If she can be a strike weapon for Hurricanes, then they loom as a tough team to beat.

Melbourne Stars

Alex Malcolm

Captain Meg Lanning
Coach Jonathan Batty

Squad Maia Bouchier (England), Alice Capsey (England), Sophie Day, Sophia Dunkley (England), Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Olivia Henry, Milly Illingworth, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Jas Nevins, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland

Stars took a slightly different approach to the draft than other clubs in terms of their picks. They only took two players at the draft, which most clubs did, and then signed Sophia Dunkley as a direct nomination post-draft. But they opted to bring back England youngsters Alice Capsey and Maia Bouchier, who have both played for Stars previously, rather than some of the more experienced and proven names available in the platinum and gold categories. They had the option of taking Ismail to bolster their bowling but instead committed to the England duo. Bouchier played for Stars in 2021, just after her international debut, but has developed significantly as a player since then and was the fourth-leading scorer in the women's Hundred this year. Capsey played all 14 games last season for Stars. She was their second-highest run-scorer and took nine wickets at an economy rate of just 6.98. Dunkley arrives for her first stint in the WBBL but comes as a proven international batter to give Stars batting some real depth and power.

Stars have been the competition's least competitive team having made just one finals series in 2020, although they did make it all the way to the final where they lost to Sydney Thunder. Last season they finished sixth and battled for depth in the absence of Lanning. But with the skipper returning and already finding some touch in the WNCL, as well as the addition of Dunkley and Bouchier, Stars suddenly bat very deep. The attack is a fraction light on but Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland, Sasha Moloney and Sophie Day provide a reasonable core with Capsey able to add support. There is also some excitement about 18-year-old Victorian quick Milly Illingworth who looks set to make her WBBL debut this year.

All eyes are on Meg Lanning. Her absence was felt competition-wide last year but especially by Stars. She is back fully fit and has already made a bright start in the WNCL with a brisk half-century on her return. If she has a big season with the bat, Stars will be very well-placed to make a run at the title. She has yet to captain on her return to cricket but her leadership experience will be invaluable for a very young group.

Melbourne Renegades

Alex Malcolm

Captain Hayley Matthews
Coach Simon Helmot

Squad Tammy Beaumont (England), Sarah Coyte, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin, Ellie Falconer, Ella Hayward, Ellie Falconer, Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Sophie Molineux (out injured), Georgia Prestwidge, Tayla Vlaeminck (out injured), Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb

The draft could not have gone better for Renegades retaining two of the world's best players without needing to use their retention pick. While all of the clubs were keeping an eye on which world-class allrounder Sydney Thunder would take out of Marizanne Kapp and Sophie Devine, Renegades happily picked the world's most in-form allrounder at present in Hayley Matthews with pick No. 2. They then waited as every other club passed on Harmanpreet Kaur and they were about to select India's captain in the second round. The only cost of those was not retaining Shabnim Ismail but coach Simon Helmot had prioritised batting as a key area to bolster coming into the draft. They added Tammy Beaumont as a direct signing after the draft to lock-in arguably the best top-three in the WBBL.

Having finished second on the table in 2021-22 and just missed the final, they had a poor season last year and finished second last. The absences of Harmanpreet and Jess Duffin then the season-ending injury to Molineux hurt them. They simply did not score enough runs with only two players averaging more than 20 for the season and none more than 27. Matthews was their highest runscorer with 253 from 14 innings, a paltry return compared to her 310 in three for West Indies against Australia just recently. They were very steady and miserly with the ball though and with some added batting strength this season that could set them up for success. It is a significant blow that Molineux has been ruled out for the whole season, but Harmanpreet's return, after she was player of the tournament in 2021-22 is huge. Matthews returns a completely different player. Beaumont has been a run-machine in England this season becoming the first woman to score a century in the Hundred while Duffin returns after completing her Australian rules football career and adds valuable experience in the middle order. Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck will also miss the entire campaign as her injury-hit career continues.

The WBBL hasn't seen the best of Hayley Matthews yet. She has one fifty in 67 innings in her WBBL career, averaging 18.32 and striking at 100.53. Her economy rate with the ball in the WBBL is also higher than her career T20 rate although it is still good at 6.74. But she returns as a different player having won eight consecutive T20I player of the match awards and having tormented Australia, the all-conquering World Champions, with both bat and ball in the recent series. She was also player of the tournament at the inaugural WPL earlier this year, helping Mumbai Indians win the title, and led Barbados Royals to the WCPL title scoring 82 and taking two wickets in the final. If that version of Matthews turns up at the WBBL fully fit, look out.

Perth Scorchers

Tristan Lavalette

Captain Sophie Devine
CoachBecky Grundy

Squad Chloe Ainsworth, Charis Bekker, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Amy Edgar, Lisa Griffith, Amy Jones (England), Alana King, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Lauren Winfield-Hill (England)

Captain Sophie Devine returns after the Scorchers used their platinum selection on her. It will be her fourth season at the Scorchers, who she led to the title in WBBL 07. Scorchers also drafted England batter Danni Wyatt, but she withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue. It is understood Scorchers have pulled of a huge coup by securing England allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who did not nominate for the draft, for an eight-game stint mid-tournament with Lauren Winfield-Hill to play the first six games until she arrives. England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones was secured through the direct nomination route

Having won their first title in WBBL 07, Scorchers struggled last season and missed the finals. But hopes are high of a rebound under new head coach Becky Grundy, who takes the reins from Shelley Nitschke. Scorchers lost star allrounder Marizanne Kapp, but their opening partnership of Devine and Beth Mooney - a cornerstone of their title success - remains intact. They have a balanced attack with Alana King and Lilly Mills set to again form a menacing spin tandem. With a nice blend of international stars and local talent, bolstered by Sciver-Brunt's appearance, the Scorchers should be back in the title mix.

Scorchers' title hopes were boosted by the addition of one-time Test quick Stella Campbell to beef up their pace stocks. It was an area that needed strengthening with Scorchers reliant on veterans Devine, Taneale Peschel and Piepa Cleary. Towering quick Campbell could ignite a career stalled by injuries on a WACA pitch where she might be able to generate significant bounce. Campbell, 21, had limited success with Sydney Sixers, but she's one of the quickest bowlers in the country when fit. If she can stay on the field then Campbell might prove an x-factor for Scorchers, while re-emerging in the frame for national selection.

Sydney Sixers

Andrew McGlashan

Captain Ellyse Perry
Coach Charlotte Edwards

Squad Jade Allen, Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Ash Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Emma Hughes, Jess Kerr (New Zealand), Kate Pelle, Kate Peterson, Ellyse Perry, Linsey Smith (England), Gabby Sutcliffe, Chloe Tryon (South Africa)

The injury to England spinner Sophie Ecclestone was a spanner in the works to their plans as she would have been a certainty to be retained. They have tried to replace her with two players: South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon, who can provide some left-arm spin and hitting power, and New Zealand swing bowler Jess Kerr who has an excellent record in the powerplay but it remains to be seen whether the sum of those parts add up. Suzie Bates will return at the top of the order after taking the direct nomination route.

Plenty of familiar names led by the headline Australia trio of Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner. Sixers managed to shake off three years of underachievement last season by reaching the final - surging through the round-robin stage with 11 wins from 14 matches - before falling at the last hurdle against Strikers. Pace bowler Kate Peterson emerged as a wicket-taking star in the latter stages of last season. Alongside Ecclestone's absence they have also lost the offspin of the retired Nicole Bolton while Perry is not expected to be able to bowl at the start of the tournament, and will miss the opening game due to an over-rate ban stemming from last season. Batter Mathilda Carmichael has made the move from Perth Scorchers. They have also put faith in youth with the signing of 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kate Pelle.

Ash Gardner was player of the tournament last season with 339 runs (strike-rate 150.66) and 23 wickets and a few months later became the most expensive female player in the world at the WPL draft. The dynamic allrounder will be pivotal to Sixers' hopes again. It has been a quiet start to the international season for her with the bat, but she has chipped in with the ball. There is a chance she will float a little in the batting depending on how the Sixers' top order goes.

Sydney Thunder

Andrew McGlashan

Captain Heather Knight
Coach Lisa Keightley

Squad Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Sam Bates, Lauren Bell (England), Paris Bowdler, Hannah Darlington, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Saskia Horley, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight (England), Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson

After finishing bottom last season, Thunder had the No. 1 draft pick and it feels like they came out of it very strongly. There was little surprise when they went with allrounder Marizanne Kapp who will bring class with bat and ball, then they were able to supplement her with England captain Heather Knight, who was a key part of the 2020-21 title and will lead them this season. England team-mate Lauren Bell was their third pick and the pace bowler will add another cutting edge to the attack. However, depending on the dates of England's tour to India in December, Knight and Bell could be among the players who won't be available for finals.

After being champions three seasons ago they have had two tough campaigns, finishing with just one win in 2022-23 which was Rachael Haynes' last before retirement. It has, therefore, been a complete change at the top with Trevor Griffin replaced as coach by Lisa Keightley. The local names will be led by Phoebe Litchfield whose development as a T20 batter in recent months, highlighted by her record-equaling 18-ball fifty against West Indies, brings huge potential for Thunder in this tournament. The pace attack looks much stronger this season while Sam Bates is a consistent spinner. They could also have struck gold by recruiting Chamari Athapaththu from outside the draft.

Last season was interrupted one for Hannah Darlington due to injury and she played just seven matches taking seven wickets while her economy rate was high at 8.43. She has slipped down the Australia pecking order since her appearances in 2021 but there is another T20 World Cup next year in Bangladesh. The arrival of Kapp and Bell should take some of the pressure of her in the pace attack.