Photo Credit: Hobart Hurricanes
The Hobart Hurricanes are thrilled to announce that Mignon du Preez will be returning to the Hurricanes for WBBL|08, making it the South African’s second consecutive season in purple.
It was a coup for the Hurricanes to lure the top-order batter from the Stars for WBBL|07, and a move that didn’t disappoint. Du Preez finish the season as the Hurricanes’ top run-scorer – with a total of 414 runs at an average strike rate of 115 – which also equated her as the seventh-highest run-scorer in the League. She saved her best ‘til last, with an unbeaten 87 runs off just 61 deliveries against the Sydney Thunder; her highest score of the tournament.
As the Hurricanes second international player signing announcement ahead of WBBL|08, to date du Preez has represented he native, South Africa, on 268 occasions, including most recently at the ICC Women’s World Cup (50 overs) in New Zealand, and at the debut of T20 cricket at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Du Preez will look forward to working alongside the Hurricanes fellow top-order recruits for WBBL|08, fellow South African, Lizelle Lee, and newly-announced captain, Elyse Villani. Ironically, du Preez she played alongside both during her time at the Stars.
“I can’t wait to return to Australia,” du Preez said, “I love the Big Bash.”
“It was a big decision for me to make the move to the Hurricanes last season, but I can honestly say I had such a great time both on and off the field. I got to know a lot of the girls really well, and as we got to know each other better as a team, our cricket really improved too.
“We have a lot of the same team we had last year heading into WBBL|08, plus some pretty great additions too, and knowing first-hand what players of the quality of Junior (Elyse Villani) and Lizelle (Lee) can bring to a T20 team, I think that puts us in a pretty good position.”
Du Preez joins Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee (o/s), Emma Manix-Geeves, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman and Elyse Villani as players currently contracted for WBBL|08.
For the first time, this season the WBBL will be ticketed League-wide. With all Hurricanes memberships securing access to all WBBL matches held in Tasmania, it’s the best way to support the team this season!
Head to hurricanes.com.au for more information and to join the Purple Army.
Name of Author: Hobart Hurricanes
The Hobart Hurricanes are an Australian professional men’s Twenty20 cricket team based in Hobart, Tasmania. Competing in the Big Bash League, they primarily play at Blundstone Arena and also host some matches at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston. The team wears a purple uniform.
