ROUNDUP
Follow UsThe 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League was always going to be a special one from an Indian point of view. After all, six of India’s T20I stars are featuring in it, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur being the only notable absentee. However, as always, there have been so many other developments in the tournament that will excite most women’s cricket fans.
With two weeks of the tournament over, it’s a good time to take stock of all that and much more.
So, how are the Indians doing?
It’s been a proper mixed bag so far.
Yastika Bhatia has had a very good run at the top of the order for the Melbourne Stars. Meg Lanning’s company has certainly had an impact as the batter has improved her consistency, and the shots have flown from her bat. However, her slow starts have been a bit of a concern for the Stars, as her strike rate is just 104 despite scoring 135 runs at an average of 33.75.
Jemimah Rodrigues is the other Indian batter who has been doing well in the WBBL so far. While her four innings so far have yielded 124 runs at an average of 31, her superb strike rate of 145.8 stands out.
The 61 off 40 deliveries she scored against the Adelaide Strikers was emblematic of how you don’t need just brute power to score big in T20s. You can also do it by using the bowler's pace and manoeuvre the line and length of the delivery by using the depth of the crease and finding gaps in the field.
Her footwork and crease movement have been near perfection, with the fast-paced pitch at the Gabba clearly helping Brisbane Heat maintain their top-three position.
Sadly for her off-field friend, Smriti Mandhana, things started on a docile note in her debut game for the Strikers. In the same game where Jemimah played a match-winning knock, Mandhana perished for just 6 against her former Indian teammate Shikha Pandey, who used the brilliant change of pace to get a return catch. Certainly, the Strikers would hope their marquee overseas signing would improve as she adjusts to the Australian conditions.
Pandey, meanwhile, has been quite astute with the ball for the Heat. Her seven wickets in six innings have come at an economy of just 6.22, which is spectacular considering the challenge of bowling on batting-friendly surfaces with true bounce and pace.
Deepti Sharma hasn’t gotten a lot of bowling in the three matches she has played for the Stars so far, and she has bowled only 42 deliveries in the tournament for a solitary wicket. Even with the bat, she is yet to get a proper hit, as she has gotten to bat only twice, scoring 24 runs so far.
Dayalan Hemalatha has had a lacklustre tournament so far, scoring only 40 runs in four innings. However, it’s not the lack of runs but the manner of her dismissals that suggests that the Perth Scorchers haven’t been rewarded for their trust in her, as her technique has been exposed against pace and bounce, and she certainly hasn’t helped herself by being reckless against spin. The situation looks so dire that she might even have to warm the bench soon despite being the overseas pick for her team.
What does the race to playoffs look like?
It’s incredibly tight, to say the least.
While the Sydney Thunder have been spectacular and have won four out of their five games, there are five teams on six points. There’s a big jam in the middle of the table, and the Heat, Renegades, Hurricanes, Sixers and Scorchers are all in strong contention for a playoff spot.
However, the Melbourne Stars (two wins in five games) and Adelaide Strikers are loitering at the bottom of the table.
The tournament is wide open as of now. The team that finishes at the top will directly move to the final and will host it on December 1. Meanwhile, the third and fourth-ranked teams will clash in an eliminator, with the winner playing the second-spot team in the Challenger on November 29.
You can check the schedule and venue of the remaining matches here.
Who are the other players making the headlines?
Ellyse Perry doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, and probably doesn’t even breathe. It’s because she’s no ordinary human.
It's impossible to comprehend what motivates her to push her boundaries at this point in her career when she has achieved everything she can accomplish in the game multiple times. She’s still the best batter in the league by a mile. In six innings she’s leading the run-scoring charts after scoring 315 runs in just six innings at an average of 78.75 and a brilliant strike rate of 150.71.
Lizelle Lee, who scored a historic 150* against the Scorchers today (November 10), is still 94 runs behind after having played the same number of innings.
Alice Capsey (12 wickets in six innings @ 13.33) and Alana King (13 wickets in six innings @10.7) are the others who have continued to prove their worth with the ball after the former faced the axe from her national team, and the latter warming the bench for hers.
Meanwhile, do keep an eye out on these youngsters: Ines Mckeon (who has played internationally for France), Caoimhe Bray (who’s just 15!), and Milly Illingworth (who has such a beautiful bowling action. They have caught the attention of fans on social media with their performances.
