Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Haynes to lead Thunder for one last WBBL season
Head of Sydney Thunder Andrew Gilchrist said there was numerous reasons for the club to feel ‘ecstatic’ that Rachael Haynes will continue to lead the team in this year’s Weber Women’s Big Bash League after calling ‘stumps’ on her illustrious career with the Australia and NSW sides.
Haynes, who has commanded tremendous respect throughout the cricket world because of the way she has competed – and conducted herself – as an international and state cricketer, stressed at her press conference held today at the SCG that she’d captain Thunder’s WBBL|08 campaign.
“Rachael’s career as a member of the NSW Breakers and the Australia teams speaks for itself,” said Gilchrist of Haynes, who’ll build on the 1919 runs she’s amassed for Thunder from 85 matches.
“Her clubmates and the entire staff at Sydney Thunder join the cricketing world in celebrating what has been a brilliant international and WNCL career.
“However, as Rachael pointed out at her announcement, it isn’t over because she is committed to again captaining Sydney Thunder.
“And we’re ecstatic by that because besides providing Thunder with her leadership and obvious class, Rachael will continue to inspire boys and girls across Australia to love and to want to play the great game of cricket.”
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Haynes captained the Sydney Thunder team which won the WBBL|06 Big Bash final, the victory adding to the medal she received as a prominent member of the Thunder squad that took out the league’s inaugural tournament in 2015/16.
The Rachael Haynes-captained Thunder will open its WBBL|08 campaign in the world’s premier women’s T20 competition against the Hobart Hurricanes on 14 October at Blacktown International Sportspark.
Sydney Thunder WBBL|08 Home Fixtures
Fri 14 Oct | Thunder v Hurricanes | Blacktown International Sportspark | 3:00pm
Sun 16 Oct | Thunder v Scorchers | Blacktown International Sportspark | 5:00pm
Tue 18 Oct | Hurricanes v Thunder | Blacktown International Sportspark | 7:05pm
Wed 2 Nov | Thunder v Sixers | Blacktown International Sportspark | 7:05pm
Tue 15 Nov | Thunder v Renegades | Manuka Oval | 7:10pm
Sun 20 Nov | Thunder v Strikers | North Sydney Oval | 5:15pm
Sydney Thunder WBBL|08 Squad
Head Coach: Trevor Griffin
Contracted Players: Rachael Haynes (c), Samantha Bates, Tammy Beaumont, Hannah Darlington, Jess Davidson, Phoebe Litchfield, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson
Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.