WOMEN'S BIG BASH: Team by team guides for 2018/19 season

Ahead of the start of the Women's Big Bash League on Saturday 1 December, The Cricketer has all the information you need on all eight teams and previews their chances...

Adelaide Strikers

Last year: Fourth, losing semi-finalists
Squad: Suzie Bates (c) (New Zealand), Samantha Betts, Sarah Coyte, Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Ellen Falconer, Danielle Hazell (England), Tahlia McGrath, Tegan McPharlin, Bridget Patterson, Katelyn Pope, Alex Price, Tabatha Saville, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington

The Strikers are blessed in having two of the best players in the world in captain Suzie Bates and Megan Schutt. Bates was the Strikers star batsman last year, while Schutt looks primed to build on her relatively underwhelming 2017/18 season after she finished as Australia's leading wicket-taker during their triumph at the ICC Women's World T20 in November.

Should those two perform to their capabilities, and young leg-spinner Amanda Jade Wellington can continue to take wickets like she did last year, then there is no reason they cannot go even further than the semi-finals and possibly win the tournament.

Brisbane Heat

Last year: Fifth
Squad: Kirby Short (c), Jemma Barsby, Haidee Birkett, Josie Dooley, Grace Harris, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sune Luus (South Africa), Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)

Brisbane will be looking to get back into the playoffs after a disappointing 2017-18, but if the performances of their players at the Women's World T20 is anything to go by, their chances are looking slim. Beth Mooney was very reliable for the Heat last year, but had a mediocre World T20 by her standards as she scored 127 runs at 21 opening the batting for eventual winners Australia

They will need other members of the team to step if they are to make it to the playoffs, and one big plus will be the availability of big-hitting allrounder Grace Harris, who missed much of last year through injury.

^{Beth Mooney will be key for the Brisbane Heat}

Hobart Hurricanes

Last year: Eighth
Squad: Corinne Hall (c), Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Brooke Hepburn, Smriti Mandhana (India), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Veronica Pyke, Georgia Redmayne, Emma Thompson

Having finished bottom and won just two of their 14 games during the 2017/18 Women’s Big Bash season, the Hobart Hurricanes will not have to do a huge amount to enjoy an improved season. The addition of India’s Smriti Mandhana and return of England’s Heather Knight should provide them with a much-needed boost if they are to do just that.

Though the Hurricanes lost their leading wicket-taker in 2017/18 Nicola Hancock, they were struggling with her in the team anyway, and they will be hoping her absence might force others to step up.

Melbourne Renegades

Last year: Sixth
Squad: Amy Satterthwaite (c) (New Zealand), Maitlan Brown, Jess Duffin, Emma Inglis, Erica Kershaw, Claire Koski, Anna Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu (New Zealand), Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danielle Wyatt (England)

The only thing that has been ‘renegade’ about the Melbourne Renegades has been their ability to not make the playoffs of the Women’s Big Bash. If their values are that of winning matches when it matters, then they have certainly betrayed those values. They have finished outside the playoff berths for all three seasons of the WBBL, but it could be fourth time lucky for them.

Speaking of fours, they fell four points short last year despite good performances from their captain Amy Satterthwaite, but the addition of England’s Danni Wyatt and Anna Lanning could finally mean they at least make the playoffs, and possibly go on and win the thing.

^{Captain Amy Satterthwaite scored 368 runs at 33.45 in 2017/18}

Melbourne Stars

Last year: Seventh
Squad: Kristen Beams (c), Makinley Blows, Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Georgia Elwiss (England), Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Nicola Hancock, Alana King, Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Katie Mack, Erin Osborne, Chloe Rafferty, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland

It was always going to be difficult to replace a player of Meg Lanning’s quality. She is a star, and she was a star for the Melbourne Stars. The Australia T20 captain scored a mammoth 502 runs at 45.63 in the 2016/17 season, and the closest anyone came to that for the Stars last year was Lizelle Lee who scored 349 at 29.08. If Lee can build on those performances, she could become a possible replacement, but if her performances at the ICC Women’s World T20 are anything to go by, we would not hold our breath.

However, new signing Nicola Hancock was a standout performer in a poor Hobart Hurricanes team last year, and her presence in the bowling attack has the potential to add some incision it was previously lacking.

Perth Scorchers

Last year: Third after league, runners-up
Squad: Elyse Villani (c), Megan Banting, Nicole Bolton, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Lauren Ebsary, Heather Graham, Emma King, Meg Lanning, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Emily Smith

The Scorchers are now particularly good at one thing – batting. They have lost the 2017/18 Women’s Big Bash leading wicket-taker Katherine Brunt, who has not been released by England, but will finally get to see the abilities of Meg Lanning, who missed all of last season through injury. Add to that England’s Kate Cross and Amy Jones, and their batting line-up looks particularly dangerous, and maybe dangerous enough to cover the loss of Brunt.

Even without Brunt; Emma King, Piepa Cleary and Heather Graham all performed well last year, and there is potential that one of them could step up to match that loss of wickets.

^{Meg Lanning captained Australia to ICC Women's World T20 glory in November}

Sydney Sixers

Last year: First after league, champions
Squad: Ellyse Perry (c), Sarah Aley, Erin Burns, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Clara Iemma, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Carly Leeson, Sara McGlashan (New Zealand), Lauren Smith, Dane van Niekerk (South Africa)

As champions, the Sydney Sixers naturally need to be taken quite seriously. Alyssa Healy seems to be playing a completely different game to everyone else right now, and captain Ellyse Perry is a force of nature that seemingly nothing can stop. Add into that Ash Gardner, and you have three of the most important players in Australia’s recent ICC Women’s World T20 success.

As good as those four are, and the Sixers should probably be earmarked as favourites for the tournament again, their South African duo of Marizanne Kapp and Dane Van Niekerk endured a terrible World T20. They and the Sixers will be hoping they can put that tournament behind them as soon as possible.

Sydney Thunder

Last year: Second after league, losing semi-finalists
Squad: Alex Blackwell (c), Sam Bates, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Maisy Gibson, Lisa Griffith, Rachael Haynes, Saskia Horley, Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Rachel Priest (New Zealand), Naomi Stalenberg, Stefanie Taylor (West Indies), Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa

The fact that the Sydney Thunder’s squad has barely changed means that they are in with a shout of making the rest of the Women’s Big Bash feel the thunder even harder than they did last year – particularly now Harmanpreet Kaur is back. She scored runs down the order consistently for them back in the 2016/17 season, and now that both the Thunder and she has improved, there is a good chance she could provide that extra firepower to their batting line-up.

Bring into that mix West Indies batter Stafanie Taylor, along with a bowling attack which does not rely on one single player for the bulk of their wickets, and the Thunder could go all the way.

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