ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY takes a look at Brave's player recruitment and suggests what more needs to be done before the start of the new season
Who has been retained?
After finishing the 2021 tournament in second place and losing just two matches, Southern Brave have, understandably, retained the bulk of their squad.
Overseas duo Smriti Mandhana and Amada-Jade Wellington and England internationals Danni Wyatt, Sophie Dunkley, and Anya Shrubsole have been retained in the top three price bands while Maia Bouchier will also remain on the South coast.
Completing the ‘keep’ list are promising fast bowler Lauren Bell, USA international Tara Norris, and Southern Vipers duo Carla Rudd and Paige Scholfield.
Who has been released?
West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor, who scored 182 runs and picked up three wickets, is the big-name departure for Southern Brave while off-spinner Charlotte Taylor, who burst into the limelight during the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy has also not had her contract renewed.
Veteran allrounder Sonia Odedra, Western Storm’s Fi Morris, teenage batter Ella McCaughan and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis, who was signed as a replacement for Mandhana, are the other four absentees from the 2021 squad.
Anya Shrubsole remains with Southern Brave
Which areas are well covered?
Southern Brave have a strong top-order, with Wyatt, Mandhana, Dunkley and Bouchier all at home in the top four. It’s a nice blend of youth and experience, with the free-scoring Dunkley (244 runs at a strike rate of 141.86) and unpredictable Bouchier – will she punch or will she anchor? – working well behind opening duo, and boundary fiends, Wyatt and Mandhana.
Their bowling unit also has a strong base. Lone spinner Wellington was both miserly and destructive, picking up 14 wickets and conceding just 0.92 runs per ball while right-arm pacers Shrubsole and Bell picked up a combined 21 wickets and were the second and third-most economical bowlers in the side, respectively. And then there’s Norris, who came into her own in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking 13 wickets in seven outings with her left-arm pace bowling.
Which areas lack cover?
A replacement for Stafanie Taylor is a must for Southern Brave. The West Indian wasn’t at her best last season, scoring her 182 runs at a strike rate of 101.67 and picking up just three wickets, but she remained a vital part of the top-five and a handy additional spin option to support Wellington.
Even if they recruit a like-for-like replacement, batting depth will remain a concern. Following Morris’ departure, Wellington and Shrubsole are pretty much the last recognised line of defence and although neither player is a slouch with the bat, a couple of extra batting options wouldn’t go amiss.
Squad: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley, Smriti Mandhana, Tara Norris, Carla Rudd, Paige Scholfield, Anya Shrubsole, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Danni Wyatt (10)
Overseas players: 2
Spaces to fill: 6
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