The Cricketer takes a look at the Sixers squad ahead of WBBL08
Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Captain: Ellyse Perry
Overseas: Sophie Ecclestone (England), Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
Last season: Eighth
How did they do last year?
The two-time champions added another gong to their collection in 2021/22, but unfortunately it was an unwanted one: the wooden spoon.
Ellyse Perry's side endured a tough campaign, winning just four matches from a possible 14 and missed out on qualification for playoffs (for the third year in a row) by six points. Their season did begin positively, with back-to-back wins over Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes, but finished with a run of six consecutive defeats.
The Sixers struggled build big totals with the bat, passing 140 on just four occasions (and losing two of those). With the ball, they failed to take five or more wickets in an innings in eight matches (losing seven) and didn't take all 10 wickets in a single match.
Perry was their leading run-scorer, with 358 runs at a strike rate of 91.32, while Lauren Cheatle (10 wickets) led the way with the ball.
Ellyse Perry captains Sydney Sixers [Getty Images]
Who are their key players?
With over 2,500 WBBL runs to her name, Alyssa Healy would usually be an automatic selection for this section. However, the wicketkeeper-batter has been in patchy form of late, scoring just 231 in WBBL07, 48 runs at the Commonwealth Games and 129 runs in The Hundred. With that in mind, Suzie Bates' arrival is more crucial than ever.
The allrounder is in hot form, scoring 151 runs at a strike rate of 131.30 to help New Zealand clinch Commonwealth bronze and later contributing 232 runs (146.83 strike rate) to Oval Invincibles' Hundred win, while her WBBL record – 1,738 runs at 28.49 and four 300-plus run seasons – speaks for itself. She doesn't possess the six-hitting capabilities of her compatriot Sophie Devine, but Bates is still an aggressive top-order batter whose presence should add some oomph to the Sixers and maybe even rub off on Healy.
Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner is also a key cog in the Sixers machine. She struggled with the bat in WBBL07, striking at just 105.91, but was back to her best at the Commonwealth Games, with her 96 runs coming at a rate of 137.14. Though not a prolific wicket-taker, she has a knack of making game-changing contributions with her right-arm offies, collecting 78 wickets in 157 T20 outings and maintaining an economy of 6.74.
Sophie Ecclestone, however, is tipped to be Sydney Sixers' standout bowler in her debut WBBL campaign. The England international has looked quite at home in Australia on previous visits, taking 18 wickets in 13 T20Is, and challenges batters with her deceptive pace and uncomfortable bounce (generated by her height). With the bat, she is gathering a reputation as finisher thanks to a strike rate of 148.57 in The Hundred and a 12-ball 33 against South Africa earlier this year.
What are their biggest strengths?
Sydney Sixers appear to have a more balanced batting line-up heading into WBBL08. Yes, they've lost Shafali Verma, who scored 191 runs last season, but the India international was highly inconsistent last year, offsetting two half-centuries with three ducks.
In her place they've added Bates, a much more experienced and reliable performer – and crucially, a player in good form, while the return of Erin Burns (who missed WBBL07 due to state border restrictions) is an added bonus. Her record in the competition (1,311 runs at a rate of 111) doesn't set the world alight but she is a safe bet for 200 runs per season.
With these two slotting into the top-five, Sydney Sixers have an attacking opening pair (Healy and Bates) to complement the stability of Burns and Perry. Gardner, meanwhile, can float around No.3 to No.6 depending on the game situation and utilise her 120-plus strike rate to change matches rather than struggling as an out-and-out No.3 as she did last year. Nicole Bolton (247 runs, 96.10 strike rate) further stabilises the middle order while Ecclestone can roam with a licence to swing. The England star is due to arrive a week late, however: an ECB decision made after a busy summer.
Speaking of Ecclestone, the spin department also looks promising. Bolton and Gardner, a pair of right-arm off-spinners, took a combined 15 wickets last year (a total they will hope to improve on) while Ecclestone (slow left-arm) is more than capable of matching – and most likely surpassing – Radha Yadav's haul of nine wickets in WBBL07.
Charlotte Edwards has been brought in as head coach [Getty Images]
Where might they have a weakness?
One area stands out: pace bowling.
With Perry still only bowling intermittently due to a back injury, Cheatle and Maitlan Brown will be expected to lead the pace attack, with support from 20-year-old Stella Campbell and allrounder Bates. Cheatle certainly stepped up in 2021/22, topping the wicket-taking charts, but Brown has been inconsistent during her WBBL career, taking 10-plus wickets just twice in six seasons. With a strong spin attack and Perry's workload uncertain, this could be panic over nothing, but one suspects the addition of an experienced seamer would have been of benefit.
While improvements have been made to the batting line-up, producing, as mentioned, a more balanced top-seven, questions still remain about the Sixers' run rate. Bates and Ecclestone should remedy some of these problems, but the risk of their innings stagnating remains a concern if a combination of Burns, Perry and Bolton find themselves in the middle for a prolonged period.
Chances of reaching the latter stages?
With Charlotte Edwards, someone who knows a thing or two about winning trophies both as a player and a coach, at the helm Sydney Sixers are in safe hands while the squad as a whole looks more balanced than last season. They should see fourth as a realistic target and while they're unlikely to challenge for the title once you're in the final four anything can happen.
Strongest XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Suzie Bates, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns, Nicole Bolton, Sophie Ecclestone, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Kate Peterson
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