WBBL11 - Into Finals we Go....

So the league stage of this year's WBBL has concluded and we move onto the Finals - not quite sure how you can have more than one, but that is by the by! Here is a quick wrap up of what has happened this week, before a look at the three Finals!

Results this week:-
Scorchers  184/5 beat Renegades 154/9 by 30 runs
Sixers 164/5 beat Stars 148/8 by 16 runs
Thunder 153/7 beat Heat 130/6 by 23 runs
Sixers 130/9 lost to Renegades 134/4 by 6 wickets with 22 balls remaining
Strikers 167/4 No Result v Hurricanes due to a ball being rolled into the pitch
Stars 66/6 (10 overs) lost to Thunder 79/1 by 9 wickets with 17 balls remaining
Heat 164/7 lost to Scorchers 165/3 by 7 wickets with 4 balls remaining
Sixers 173/4 beat Strikers 172/7 by 1 run 

Points of Interest:-

• Sixers could possibly have finished top of the pile if they won all three of their games in the final week of the competition. They dispatched the Stars, but then failed to turn up against the Renegades. Other results meant the last game of the season v Strikers was a straight knockout. Sixers won by 1 run getting a run out off the last ball. I genuinely shed a tear for the Strikers.
• Just on that last game - great 100 from Ellyse Perry, but spare a thought for Bridget Patterson, who hit 65 off 35 balls when Strikers looked to have no hope. They needed 70 off the last 30 balls. They ended up needing 4 off 3 balls, after she deposited Ash Gardner for 4 4 6 off the first three balls of the last over. She then ran a leg bye.....in hindsight perhaps a mistake. Gardner bowled Wello next ball and Eccles was run out going for the tieing second off the last ball to leave Strikers agonisingly short. Cricket can be so cruel.
• Stars had 11 points from 8 games coming into the last week - at the end of it they still had 11 points and clung on to a qualifying spot by their fingernails. Having lost to the Sixers, they then got pasted by the Thunder in a 10 over shoot out, where their batters missed the target and their bowlers fired blanks. Can they reload before the Finals?
• The unluckiest person not to be involved in the Finals has to be Georgia Wareham. She has been inspirational for the Renegades, not only taking the most wickets in the competition, but at the best economy rate. That is an achievement on its own. But she has also scored 277 runs, averaging almost 40 every time she goes to the crease. Renegades need to recruit better overseas players for WBBL12. Having a recognisable name or one good innings are simply not enough.
• And finally - where does this tournament (and recent form) leave the careers of Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy and Megan Schutt? Should they be in the Australia T20 World Cup squad next year? Will Australia be bold enough to try a few new faces in the series against India in the new year? Are Australia as hard as they are made out to be? We will see.....

And so to the Finals games

Scorchers v Stars (The Knockout) - Bookies make the Scorchers favourites, but only just. I just cannot see the Stars winning. Their batters are not firing with the notable exception of the stoic Meg Lanning, and they are three bowlers light. That is not the recipe for winning cricket matches.
Sixers v Scorchers (The Challenger) - So let's assume......Sixers will have home advantage whoever they play, which means the game will be at North Sydney Oval, which means lots of runs. On paper Sixers have the better top 5 batters, but Healy and Kerr have contributed little and Gardner is a bit hit and miss (perhaps the pressure of captaincy weighs heavy?). They will be favourites, but cometh the hour cometh the Mooney or the Devine....
Hurricanes v Scorchers (The Final - finally) - Canes have been the dominant team all competition, but their last game ended when a groundsman rolled a ball into the Adelaide pitch, which means their batters haven't had a knock for nearly two weeks. Can Scorchers catch them cold in Cane's first ever WBBL final? I think they might just do it in a last ball thriller. Well we can hope can't we? 

No more nonsense from me on the WBBL, but I'm sure I'll find something else to share my random thoughts on soon........stay tuned.

Martin Davies
07/XII/2025

WBBL11 - Key Games this week

There were just three games over the weekend, but it looks like this week could see some teams taking big strides towards a top four finish, while others don't. 

The latest results were:-
Scorchers 159/4 beat Strikers 158ao by 1 run with 1 ball remaining
Thunder 64ao lost to Renegades 68/2 by 8 wickets with 53 balls remaining
Stars 171/8 beat Heat 153/9 by 18 runs

Points of Interest:-

• Neither Scorchers nor Strikers really wanted to win their game - having posted a moderate 159 Scorchers looked in trouble with the Strikers 77/1 in the 10th over, but a team hat-trick in a maiden16th over reduced Strikers to 121/7, requiring 39 from 24 balls. They needed 25 from the last 2 overs and then 13 from the last, with the last two batters at the crease - but 1424 off the first four balls meant they needed just 2 off the last two balls to win! But Darcie Brown top-edged a leg stump full toss into the air and keeper Mooney came from behind the stumps to take the catch and win the match.
• As suspected Thunder's revival was short-lived - bowled out for 64 by Renegades, who moved up to second in the table
• Heat had Stars 44/6, but let them and Marizanne Kapp (93* off 51 balls) off the hook, as Stars took 47 off the last three overs to post 171/8. Heat never really looked likely to get near the total as batters got in, only to get out.

This week's games :- 
Strikers v Heat - A bottom of the table clash which doesn't have much to recommend it tbh
Stars v Hurricanes - Canes will be keen to put their loss to the Sixers down as a minor aberration, while the Stars bowling seems to be their strong suit. Should be a tight game with the Canes perhaps consolidating top spot.
Renegades v Scorchers - Renegades lose, win, lose, win.....so will they lose this one? They shouldn't do. Scorchers batting is currently looking fragile
Heat v Sixers - Sixers have to win! Heat don't look like ever winning!
Strikers v Thunder - Strikers have lost their last three and look devoid of oomph, but then Thunder have only won two games and were hammered in their last. Might be a case of who is the least bad!

Can the rain please go away!!

Martin Davies
24/XI/2025

WBBL - Halfway through

We have reached the halfway point in WBBL11. Is it me or has it been rather disappointing and very low key? Cricinfo's coverage of the games, via AAP, suggest they don't really care very much about the tournament. Their match reports almost certainly have some AI generated content in them and are frequently inaccurate. 

The latest results were:-
Strikers 134/7 lost to Hurricanes 136/6  by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining.
Scorchers  150/7 lost to Thunder 154/1 by 9 wickets with 10 balls remaining.
Renegades 155ao lost to Hurricanes 106/4 (13 over target 106) by 6 wickets with 6 balls remaining.
Stars 219/4 beat Sixers 42ao (10 over target 153) by 111 runs.
Thunder 200/6 beat Heat 159ao by 41 runs.
Sixers 147/9 beat Hurricanes 136ao by 11 runs

Points of Interest:-

• Hurricanes have lost their first game, contriving to go from 129/6 to 136 all out in 10 balls to lose by 11 runs to the Sixers. They remain top of the league on 10 points, ahead of the chasing pack, who all seem incapable of actually chasing anything.
• The chasing pack includes Renegades, Sixers, Stars, Thunder, Scorchers, and Strikers, who are all separated by just 3 points (6 down to 3) - they are all the model of inconsistency!
• Brisbane Heat have now lost all 4 of the games they have played
• Thunder won both their games this week, which some suggest is the start of a resurgence. One of those was against the Heat (without Grace Harris or Jemimah Rodrigues). I still wouldn't back them to make the play-offs
• Brisbane Heat keep trying different opening partnerships - the latest one included shipping in Lauren Winfield-Hill. They still lost. Give Annie O'Neil a go!!
• Meg Lanning, not retained in the WPL, now has the most runs in the competition (no she doesn't - DWH has one more after this morning's game!), having helped herself to 135 of them against the Sixers this week
• It continues to rain in Australia and the girls continue to play through it until their clothing gets so heavy they can't carry on!

This weekend's games are:-
Scorchers v Strikers - Neither team look in a very good place and look likely to miss out on the play-offs along with the Heat. Expect this to be a scrappy affair.
Thunder v Renegades - Renegades have a 3/2 record and are likely to burst the Thunder's newly inflated resurgence balloon.
Heat v Stars - After pummelling the Sixers with the bat and the ball it is difficult to see the Stars slipping up against winless Heat.

Martin Davies
22/XI/2025

WBBL - Already 33% done

The second weekend of the WBBL has been completed with 13 of the 40 league stage games having now been played. 

The latest results were:-
Hurricanes 114/1 (12 of 12 overs) beat Heat 108/9 by 16 runs (DLS target 124)
Sixers 142/9 beat Thunder 118/8 by 24 runs
Strikers 112 ao lost to Scorchers 55/2 (9.1 overs) by 6 runs on DLS after rain prevented any further play.
Stars 141/7  lost to Renegades 145/6 by 4 wickets with 7 balls remaining.

Points of Interest:-

• A plethora of Aussie youngsters are shining in this competition - Lucy Hamilton; Caoimhe (Keeva) Bray; and Ruby Strange have all shown they can more than hold their own at this level
• By contrast the overseas players have generally failed to make much of an impression (with the exception of DWH and Wolvaardt), including the 15 English players. There has been the odd glimmer, but not much to excite England coach Charlotte Edwards.
  
• As well as the injury to Alana King, Alyssa Healy has obviously got major problems with her thumb on her right hand - I'd guess there is a fracture. In addition Amelia Kerr pulled out of her last game in the warm-up with a quad injury.
• Sophie Molineux has returned for the Renegades which strengthens them immensely - good with the bat and the ball
• The Hurricanes remain the only team not to have lost a game and head the table
• The Stars and the Heat are bottom of the table without a win in any of their three starts
• The rain continues to be an issue shortening two of this weekend's games

There are no games tomorrow (Monday), but four of the five games this week are evening games, which means they are at a more watchable 8:10/9:10am here in the UK.
This week's games
Hurricanes v Strikers - Canes must be favourites to keep their 100% record going. Strikers batting seems to be Wolvaardt......and not much else.
Thunder v Scorchers - Difficult to see Thunder getting off the mark v Scorchers, although they are a rather erratic bunch, who don't bat very deep. Two of their games have been won batting second in rain-restricted matches. Might be tight?
Hurricanes v Renegades - Two games in three days for the Canes, with a journey from Tasmania to Sydney in between. Renegades bat deep, even if they don't have players making the big scores. Canes will be favourites, but if the Renegades can get Lee and DWH before they get going, they might just pull off the win.
Sixers v Stars - Second game on at the batter-friendly North Sydney Oval on Thursday should see Sixers consolidate their place in the top 4 and Stars continue to prop up the other 7 teams.
Heat v Thunder - Heat have seen nothing big with the bat from Harris, Rodrigues, Henry or de Klerk. It will be Thunder's second game of the week. If they have sneaked past Scorchers they might go 2 from 2.
Hurricanes v Sixers - This is actually the first game on Saturday, but starts late Friday here in the UK. Should be the game of the week. Canes won the previous meeting at a canter after a Lee/DWH big opening partnership. Can they do it again?

Let's hope the weather improves and all the games can be completed.

Martin Davies
16/XI/25

WBBL End of First Week Update

 We have had another five games of WBBL11, with a mixture of predictable and unpredictable results.

Thunder 148/7 lost to Renegades 151/6 by 4 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)
Scorchers 172/3 beat Heat 149 all out by 23 runs
Sixers 152/9 lost to Hurricanes 154/4 by 6 wickets (with 19 balls remaining)
Stars 173/4 beat Scorchers 78/8 by 16 runs (DLS 95target  off 9 overs)
Renegades 141/9 lost to Strikers 143/3 by 7 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)

Points of Interest

• Hurricanes are the only team with a 100% record - 2 from 2
  
• Alana King is continuing to play despite having broken her little finger on her right (bowling) hand. It looked to be hampering her bowling and can't help her batting or fielding. 
• All teams seem to be having a really hard time holding any catches/getting stumpings
• Significant drops 
  - Beth Mooney 105 (73) - dropped on 0 and 32 - Scorchers won
  - Meg Lanning 90* (55) - badly dropped on 18 - Stars won
  - Laura Wolvaardt 71* (48) - missed stumping on 7 and dropped on 43 - Strikers won 
• Thunder and Heat are yet to get off the mark - both 0/2.
  
• Beth Mooney made her 4th WBBL century. She also has 44 50s! She is the leading run scorer in the WBBL with over 5,000 runs to her name
• The rain continues to play a part in the tournament

Games coming up over the weekend are 
Heat v Hurricanes - can Canes keep their 100% record?
Thunder v Sixers - Thunder could easily end the day 0/3
Strikers v Scorchers - Wolvaardt looks in imperious form for Strikers. Mooney for Scorchers. Who will win out?
Renegades v Stars - Stars could be too much for Renegades

Martin Davies

14/XI/25

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