Big names are Ellyse Perry to Loughborough Lightning, as suspected; Meg Lanning to Surrey Stars; Suzie Bates to Southern Vipers; and WWT20 winning captain Stafanie Taylor to the Western Storm.
The final piece in the jigsaw is due next week when the two or three Academy players per team will be announced, together with the additional players that each franchise has selected to boost their roster to the full 15. We will wait to comment on the strengths of each squad until the full 15 players have been named, but in the meantime here is how the teams are currently shaping up :-
Lancashire Thunder
Kate Cross, Sarah Taylor, Danni WyattSarah Coyte, Deandra Dottin, third tba
Loughborough Lightning
Georgia Elwiss, Rebecca Grundy, Amy Jones, Beth LangstonSophie Devine, Dane van Niekerk, Ellyse Perry
Southern Vipers
Charlotte Edwards, Tash Farrant, Lydia GreenwaySuzie Bates, Sara McGlashan, Megan Schutt
Surrey Stars
Tammy Beaumont, Laura Marsh, Nat SciverRene Farrell, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning
Western Storm
Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole, Fran WilsonLizelle Lee, Rachel Priest, Stafanie Taylor
Yorkshire Diamonds
Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Dani Hazell, Lauren WinfieldAlex Blackwell, Shabnim Ismail, Beth Mooney
MD
14/IV/16
Some were claiming Loughborough were the weakest side based on their England player allocations. I wasn't so sure as having 4 players is a big advantage on having 3, plus Jones and Elwiss are still kind of unknown quantities in T20.
ReplyDeleteBUT now that Loughborough have made 3 exceptional overseas player signings, all of whom will probably bat high up the order and bowl their full 4-over allocation, they have loads of freedom to populate their remaining team positions with anyone they see fit and should be a flexible, dynamic and competitive side.
As a man of Kent I should be supporting the Vipers or be a glory hunting follower of the Stars of London but in fact I will probably join many in supporting The Lightning.
ReplyDelete