Photo Credit: Melbourne Renegades
Superstar players from Australia and across the globe will come together once again in Weber WBBL|08, with the opening match just six days away.
The majority of Club squads for this season have now been finalised, with final player announcements to occur in coming days.
The players taking part in the WBBL represent the very best of the women’s game, strengthening its position as the world’s best cricket league for women.
Download the latest Weber WBBL|08 squad lists
Trent Woodhill, Big Bash Leagues’ Player Acquisition and Cricket Consultant, said:
“It’s brilliant to see such a talented group of players across our Weber WBBL squads, taking our world champion and gold medal winning Australians, top names from across the globe and the next generation of local stars.
“The WBBL has been the pioneer women’s T20 competition in the world and, judging by the quality in this year’s competition, remains the destination of choice for the game’s elite.”
TOP RANKED
The world’s number one batter, bowler and all-rounder, according to ICC rankings, will feature in Weber WBBL|08. Beth Mooney, the WBBL’s all-time leading run-scorer (3674 runs), will once again be joined by New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine at the Perth Scorchers. England spin bowler Sophie Ecclestone has joined the Sydney Sixers for her first WBBL stint.
In all, 11 of the world’s top 18 batters will be on show in WBBL|08:
| Ranking | Player | WBBL Club | Country |
| 1 | Beth Mooney | Perth Scorchers | Australia |
| 4 | Tahlia McGrath | Adelaide Strikers | Australia |
| 5 | Sophie Devine | Perth Scorchers | New Zealand |
| 6 | Suzie Bates | Sydney Sixers | New Zealand |
| 8 | Jemimah Rodrigues | Melbourne Stars | India |
| 9 | Alyssa Healy | Sydney Sixers | Australia |
| 11 | Ashleigh Gardner | Sydney Sixers | Australia |
| 12 | Laura Wolvaardt | Adelaide Strikers | South Africa |
| 13 | Harmanpreet Kaur | Melbourne Renegades | India |
| 17 | Danielle Wyatt | Brisbane Heat | England |
| 18 | Deandra Dottin | Adelaide Strikers | West Indies |
Six of the top 10 bowlers will also feature in this season:
| Ranking | Player | WBBL Club | Country |
| 1 | Sophie Ecclestone | Sydney Sixers | England |
| 3 | Hayley Matthews | Melbourne Renegades | West Indies |
| 4 | Shabnim Ismail | Melbourne Renegades | South Africa |
| 5 | Megan Schutt | Adelaide Strikers | Australia |
| 8 | Jess Jonassen | Brisbane Heat | Australia |
| 10 | Amelia Kerr | Brisbane Heat | New Zealand |
Additionally, many of these players are also ranked in the world’s best all-rounders, with eight of the top 17 contracted to WBBL clubs:
| Ranking | Player | WBBL Club | Country |
| 1 | Sophie Devine | Perth Scorchers | New Zealand |
| 2 | Hayley Matthews | Melbourne Renegades | West Indies |
| 3 | Ashleigh Gardner | Sydney Sixers | Australia |
| 11 | Amelia Kerr | Brisbane Heat | New Zealand |
| 12 | Tahlia McGrath | Adelaide Strikers | Australia |
| 14 | Ellyse Perry | Sydney Sixers | Australia |
| 15 | Sophie Ecclestone | Sydney Sixers | England |
| 17 | Jess Jonassen | Brisbane Heat | Australia |
CHAMPIONS
Eighteen individual ICC T20 World Cup winners are shared across the eight Clubs in Weber WBBL|08.
- Adelaide Strikers: Megan Schutt, Deandra Dottin (WI)
- Brisbane Heat: Jess Jonassen
- Hobart Hurricanes: Nicola Carey, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani
- Melbourne Renegades: Sarah Coyte, Hayley Matthews (WI), Sophie Molineux
- Melbourne Stars: Annabel Sutherland
- Perth Scorchers: Holly Ferling, Beth Mooney
- Sydney Sixers: Nicole Bolton, Erin Burns, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry
- Sydney Thunder: Rachael Haynes
Additionally, Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal winning side will be represented, alongside three silver medallists (India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar) and five bronze medallists (New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Hayley Jensen and Amelia Kerr).
INDIVIDUAL BRILLIANCE
Several further individual feats achieved in the WBBL deserve recognition.
Perth Scorchers’ all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has proven herself to be one of cricket’s best big-game players, being named Player of the Final in Weber WBBL|07, plus in both the 2021 and 2022 editions of The Hundred.
Sophie Devine currently holds the record of 120 sixes hit in WBBL – a whopping 52 clear of second-placed Ashleigh Gardner.
Ellyse Perry maintains an extraordinary batting average of 50.16 in the competition – the only player over 50. Beth Mooney follows with 47.10 runs per dismissal.
Six players have scored multiple WBBL centuries, headed by Alyssa Healy with four. She’s joined by Devine (three), Mooney, Perry, Grace Harris and Lizelle Lee (all two).
Five players have taken over 100 wickets in WBBL – Molly Strano sits atop that chart with 119, ahead of Jess Jonassen (113), Amanda-Jade Wellington (103), Kapp (102) and Heather Graham (102). Nicola Carey is one wicket away from joining the 100-club. Wellington holds the best individual figures of 5-8, achieved in the WBBL|07 Eliminator final.
Note:
Meg Lanning (Melbourne Stars), Georgia Wareham (Melbourne Renegades) and Tayla Vlaeminck (Melbourne Renegades) retain current Weber WBBL contracts but will not take part in this season and have not been included in above statistics.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
Key WBBL players will be available to the media on Sunday, October 9 and Monday, October 10 alongside a selection of female community cricketers and participants for picture and vision opportunities.
Sunday, October 9
Perth
Perth Scorchers players will be available at the Club’s season launch and fan day
WACA Ground, from 11:00am AWST
Contact: Rory Coleman-Heard 0406 686 619
Monday, October 10
Sydney:
Ellyse Perry, Sydney Sixers captain and Rachael Haynes, Sydney Thunder captain
North Sydney Oval, 10:00am AEDT
Contact: Matthew Taylor 0431896702
Melbourne
Sophie Molineux and Sarah Coyte (Melbourne Renegades), Nicole Faltum and Annabel Sutherland (Melbourne Stars)
Ian Johnson Oval (opposite CitiPower Centre), 12:30pm AEDT
Contact: Nick Duxson 0434 659 473 and Andrew Mayes 0405 846 203
Brisbane
The Brisbane Heat squad will be available at a Queensland Cricket media opportunity
Allan Border Field, 10:00am AEST
Contact: Stephen Gray 0418 885 899
Adelaide
Darcie Brown, Adelaide Strikers fast bowler
Adelaide Oval, 9:00am ACDT
Contact: Lucy Williams 0419 259 697
Hobart
Hobart Hurricanes will provide VNR of captain Elyse Villani
Contact: Laura Macintosh, 0425 744 741
About Weber WBBL|08
Members of Australia’s reigning world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning side take the field alongside a host of top-class internationals across all eight Clubs in Weber WBBL|08
For the first time since 2019, all eight Clubs’ will host home matches, giving fans the opportunity to see their teams live once again.
Host broadcaster Seven will show 24 WBBL|08 matches live, with every game available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports. ABC Radio and cricket.com.au will also provide coverage.
The WBBL|08 season begins on Thursday, October 13. Tickets are on sale for all matches via the on the Big Bash website.
Fans are also encouraged to stay up to date with the latest information on the summer of Big Bash including tickets, memberships and news via our Australian Cricket Family. Not already an ACF member? Sign up here.
Name of Author: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for cricket in Australia. Established in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket, CA manages all national teams, including Men’s, Women’s, and Youth sides, as well as other national teams. It oversees the organization of Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is, and coordinates home international fixtures.
