Strano's spin switch paying off

Molly Strano can't really understand what all the fuss is about.

But when you take a combined 8 for 35 across consecutive Saturdays, in front of three quarters of a million sets of eyeballs on national television, it follows that people will want to know a bit more about you.

In the midst of her match-winning burst for the cellar-dwelling Melbourne Renegades that helped overcome off the ladder-leaders Sydney Thunder last week, Cricket Victoria boss Tony Dodemaide tweeted that she's "normally so shy and introverted".

There's a lot of sarcasm there; the 23-year-old Strano is anything but reserved. Rather, she's confident, articulate and with a decent story to tell about how she has wound up the inaugural Women's Big Bash League foremost finger spinner.

Strano was never meant to be doing this - not as a tweaker. Prolific former Australia batsman Melanie Jones originally plucked her from junior cricket with the boys in Werribee to her powerhouse club Essendon-Maribyrnong Park as a top-order bat. The state selectors were watching and Strano was quickly ushered into the Victoria side to play in the Under-18 national championships in that discipline. Despite notching a century for Victoria, the runs inexplicably dried up. Her career stalled, afflicted by a protracted case of the yips.

But Strano's competitive instincts and love of the game were undeniable, so she set about finding another way to make her mark.

"I wasn't making any runs, I was hoping I could contribute and take a few wickets instead," she told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Renegades' final four group games this weekend in Adelaide.

While off-spin is arguably cricket's least forgiving craft, Strano assessed that it was also the one where she could reinvent herself to have the greatest impact. 'When you spin, you win' is a powerful school of thought in the women's game - look no further than the Renegades WBBL squad, loaded with nine twirlers.

"In the underage pathway spinners are really successful; they normally take most of the wickets, and they lead the wicket-taker lists," Strano said. "I just thought that I'd give it a crack and see how it goes."

It went very well, as it turned out.

Strano took the club competition by storm and earned her senior Victoria cap, bowling in tandem with club team-mate and Australia's incumbent wrist-spinner Kristen Beams. She led all-comers in the WBBL's precursor league last season; 22 dismissals at a miserly 12 runs apiece. Strano has 15 scalps to her name in this summer's WBBL; only four bowlers have taken more wickets, but each of them has also had the benefit of playing more games.

Tactically, Strano shares much in common with the traditional high risk/high reward approach typically employed by legspinners. Of late, her professional development has included working with former Test offie Nathan Hauritz, who now also calls the Renegades home.

"I'm a traditionalist ... I don't really look to shoot them out and bowl flat and try to restrict, I'm looking to take wickets, so I'm not afraid to toss it up," she said. "I like to watch Nathan Lyon bowl and he tosses it up, gets some nice dip and turn. I'm not a massive side spinner of the ball, flight and dip is my strength.

"Yes, sometimes you do get a bit of tap, but that doesn't bother me too much, you've got to have a thick skin these days being a T20 bowler."

Strano acknowledges that she's not yet a completed product, freely admitting she needs to generate more lateral movement from her tall frame to become more lethal as a spinner.

"I just want to keep developing and try to be the best players I can, so I feel I just need to add that to my game," she said.

Strano's passion (a self-professed "cricket badger") can be a hindrance when not managed. She overworked herself when playing in England over the winter ("every time someone wanted a net I was down with them") which resulted in a stress fracture that robbed her of three months at the start of this summer. She missed the entirety of the 50-over WNCL competition, and only made it back to the game in time for the WBBL due to thrice-weekly 7am sessions with Victorian high performance guru Tim McCaskill.

Her truncated season couldn't have helped her case for national honours this summer against the touring Indians ahead of the World T20 in March. Despite Strano's WBBL success - which included earning Southern Stars skipper Meg Lanning's vital wicket to kickstart her bag against the Stars - she wasn't waiting by the phone when the squad was named earlier this week.

"We have such a range and variety of spinners in Australia that selectors can choose from, so I didn't really have any expectation to get picked," she said, modestly declaring that 19-year-old South Australian Amanda Wellington would be currently closer to selection than her.

"It would be a tough job to break into that team considering it is so settled and they're so successful, but a girl can dream."

Despite moving from bat to ball it may very well be mastering her original skill that ultimately elevates Strano to a national debut. The Australian set up currently contains two finger spinners - Jess Jonassen and Grace Harris - but critically both are also established top six batsmen in their own right.

During the course of the WBBL Strano has been promoted from No.9 to No.5 in the Renegades batting list after strong showings (including a blistering unbeaten 29 against the Stars in just 16 balls). She craves being a true allrounder who features ideally at No.6 or 7, and believes her success with the ball makes batting all the more easier.

"I'm just enjoying my batting now that I'm a bowler who takes a bit more pressure of that facet off my game so I can come in and bat with freedom."

For now though, the focus is on finishing the season strongly with the Renegades, who need to win all their four remaining games this week to feature in the post-season. But when the cameras are switched off and instead of appearing on the scoreboard at the MCG Strano returns to the relative anonymity of club cricket, her positive disposition will prevail.

"I'm just rapt playing WBBL and state cricket," Strano said. "I've never played in front of a big crowd before and then all of a sudden at the 'G we had 12,000 and at Etihad we had 14,000, I was just pinching myself.

"When I finished my spell I ran down to deep square leg and everyone was clapping. I had no idea what was going on; normally it is my Nan at fine leg. I feel really blessed and I can't believe how it has all panned out and how successful the WBBL has been. I didn't expect it to be anything like this and it has been a great learning experience."