WBBL11 is underway

This weekend saw the first games of WBBL11 with all 8 teams involved in the first round of games played in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne. 
The results were :-

Brisbane Heat 133ao (20 overs) lost to Melbourne Renegades 66/3 (7.3 of 8 overs - DLS) by 7 wickets
Sydney Thunder 181/8 lost to Hobart Hurricanes 182/4 (19.3 overs) by 6 wickets
Perth Scorchers 109 ao (19.3 overs) lost to Sydney Sixers 112/0 (12.5 overs) by 10 wickets
Melbourne Stars 184/5 no result with Adelaide Strikers 32/1 (4.2 overs) due to rain

Points of Interest

• Heat have a bit of an issue with their opening partnership. They tried Charli Knott and Nadine de Klerk with Gerogia Redmayne at 8. Not sure it is a combination that will work too well, and they look a bit light on batting generally.
  
• Batting also looks to be an issue for Renegades with Wareham filling the 5 slot and the inexperienced Davina Perrin under pressure as opener with the reliable Courtney Webb
• Heat's left-arm seamer Lucy Hamilton looks an exciting prospect
• Thunder failed to defend 181 (including 16 wides) courtesy of a 145 run partnership between Dani Wyatt-Hodge (90) and Nicola Carey 58*. 36 off two Power Surge overs from Bates and Ismail showed a weakness in their death bowling options
• This could be a long and fruitless season for the Scorchers. Their batting, on a great batting wicket was woeful, and their bowling not much better. 
• Ash Gardner likes being captain of the Sixers - 5/15 off her 4 overs and a 10 wicket win to start her reign.
• Megan Schutt is a dwindling force for the Strikers. She bowled 0/50 off her 4 overs and Tahlia McGrath is not really a reliable seam option. Strikers could struggle.
• It rains in Australia at this time of year. 

The next five games this week are :-
Renegades v Thunder
Heat v Scorchers
Sixers v Hurricanes
Scorchers v Stars
Strikers v Renegades
Scorchers play two games and cannot really afford to lose them both. Heat may be their best chance of a win.
Sixers v Canes looks to be the game of the week.

We'll have another round-up at the end of the week, by which time the front-runners and the potential wooden-spooners might already be more apparent. Let's hope the weather doesn't intervene too much more.

Martin Davies
09/XI/2025