Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Title-winning WBBL coach commits for further two seasons
Sydney Thunder has fired the first shot in its WBBL title defence by signing Head Coach Trevor Griffin for a further two years.
Griffin has been at the helm of the Thunder for two seasons already, finishing sixth in his first tilt before his side’s stunning victory last summer in WBBL|06.
Thunder finished the regular season of WBBL|06 in third place before upsetting the higher ranked Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars in the semi-final and final respectively.
Cricket NSW Head of Female Cricket Leah Poulton said Griffin had done an outstanding job over the past two seasons.
“The Thunder play a brand of cricket that’s exciting and dynamic that people love to watch,” Poulton said.
“The confidence displayed on-field by the players is built from a culture of trust and respect driven by Trev.
“We are fortunate to have someone of his calibre leading the program and are thrilled to have him back for another two seasons.”
Photo Credit: LinkedIn profile photo of Leah Poulton
The first non-Australian coach in WBBL history, Griffin said he was excited to be returning to Sydney and the world’s premier domestic T20 tournament with a group of players capable of achieving great things.
“I can’t wait to come back, the Thunder squad has so much potential,” Griffin said from the UK.
“The last two years as Head Coach have been a real privilege and winning WBBL|06 last year was the culmination of a huge amount of hard work from the entire squad – players and staff, so it’s awesome to be asked back to the brilliant Thunder Nation to continue the journey.
“We’ve a lot of young players who are growing as individuals and learning their craft, plus a few more experienced heads in there too which is a great combination.
“We didn’t always execute our plans as best we could last year and there’s lots to work on as we develop the brand of cricket we want to play, it’s a brilliant prospect and really exciting to keep working on the squad’s development to see just how far they can go.”
Griffin said he would follow a similar script to last season with his players as they seek back to back titles.
“My message hasn’t changed from last year, I want the squad to keep working hard on their game and enjoy their cricket,” he said.
“If they keep learning, keep showing how great they are and be themselves, I’ll be a very happy coach.
“Winning a tournament and showcasing your best cricket is always what you set out to do, but defending any title is way harder so the pressure will be on – but that’s exactly why we play professional sport, to go up against the best, push ourselves and try to come out on top.
“We’re working hard to improve and getting our plans in place, I’m sure every other team will be out to try and beat us to that title, so it’s set to be a fantastic tournament.”
Sydney Thunder WBBL Sqaud
Head Coach: Trevor Griffin
Contracted for WBBL|07: Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Kate Peterson, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson.
Sydney Thunder WBBL|07 Fixtures (All AEDT Start Times)
Sat 16 Oct | Vs Adelaide Strikers | 7:05pm | North Sydney Oval
Sun 17 Oct | Vs Sydney Sixers | 1:40pm | North Sydney Oval
Tues 19 Oct | Vs Adelaide Strikers | 3:40pm | Blacktown ISP
Sat 23 Oct | Vs Sydney Sixers | 3:40pm | WACA
Sun 24 Oct | Vs Perth Scorchers | 5:15pm | WACA
Sat 30 Oct | Vs Melbourne Stars | 3:40pm | Metricon Stadium
Sun 31 Oct | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | 10:15am | Metricon Stadium
Sat 6 Nov | Vs Melbourne Stars | 1:40pm | CitiPower Centre
Sun 7 Nov | Vs Brisbane Heat | 10:15am | CitiPower Centre
Tues 9 Nov | Vs Melbourne Renegades | 7:05pm | Blacktown ISP
Sat 13 Nov | Vs Melbourne Renegades | 2:00pm | Ballarat
Sun 14 Nov | Vs Perth Scorchers | 10:15am | Ballarat
Fri 19 Nov | Vs Brisbane Heat | 7:05pm | Great Barrier Reef Arena
Sat 20 Nov | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | 3:40pm | Great Barrier Reef Arena
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Information regarding Memberships and Tickets will be announced soon.
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.
