Winning ways: The secrets behind WBBL success

As we enter the business end of WBBL|07, most teams are clear on the brand of cricket they want to play and what it is going to take to be successful in the games that matter.

But what does a winning formula look like in this competition?

Well, here are a few key factors that have been on show so far…

Domestic players playing lead roles

I've always believed most successful teams in the WBBL have the 'best' domestic players and by that I mean players who perform. Every team is blessed with quality overseas talent, therefore they tend to cancel each other out. Domestic performers have been even more valuable in WBBL|07 with some teams having internationals pull out, and the difficulties around replacing them with like-for-like players. One team that has promoted their domestic players over international players well over previous tournaments and again this time around is Brisbane Heat. Their international bowlers aren't always in their XI and we have seen the same of batters in previous tournaments. Why has this worked? Because they have developed a really consistent team that isn't defined by their signings each year, they have players settled in roles, and the majority of their players also play for Queensland. Ultimately they have found a way to be consistent in an inconsistent format.

The best defence

For some teams in WBBL|07, attack has been the best form of defence. When you have fast bowling weapons such as Tayla Vlaeminck (Hurricanes) and Darcie Brown (Strikers), or big turning spinners like Amanda Jade Wellington (Strikers) or Alana King (Scorchers) you are opting to try to take wickets as a way to keep the run rate low. This in conjunction with your most miserly bowlers makes for a great defence. We have seen most teams look to get their combinations right based on the types of bowlers they have, and which overs in the Powerplay they are used. It's a batter's game – I'm surprised it's taken me this long to say that in WBBL|07 – but I'd like to take the opportunity to tip my hat to some of our best defensive bowlers; when they have a bad day it's rarely awful, and it's never two games in a row. I'd imagine these players are getting plenty of air time in team meetings, as teams try to find a way to attack the best defence. Sam Bates (5.31), Kim Garth (5.55) and Marizanne Kapp (5.6) are the top three bowlers when it comes to economy rate (min of 20 overs). None of those names are a surprise and no two bowlers are the same, but one thing they all have in common? They make you earn every run.

Lady Luck

She isn't something you can plan on or buy off the shelf, but Lady Luck has a role to play in T20 cricket. When you are winning you don't think a lot about her because nothing feels like it is luck, though this is very different when you are grinding for every win. That toss you lost in Tassie in the wet, that 50:50 umpiring call that didn't go your way, or that French cut for four, they all make you feel like Lady Luck has deserted you. I'm not going to roll out a cliché like 'you make your own luck' because I'm not sure that's the case in T20 cricket. All I can say is cherish Lady Luck if she is with you, and if she's not, I hope she shows up for you in Mackay or Adelaide.

Dominating the Powerplay and beyond

It's a pretty obvious element of T20 cricket, but it is again something we see teams do very differently. For some teams it's out and out power, for others it's changing up their opening combinations to get the best fit, but for most teams it's been diversity in their Powerplay batting options that has paid dividends. And success has meant not only going big through the six Powerplay overs, but using that momentum to push on through the middle overs. Interestingly, four of the top five highest first-wicket partnerships have come from left-hand / right-hand combinations. Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine (173 & 165), Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne (140) and Jemimah Rodrigues and Eve Jones (101) have all broken the hearts of bowling units in WBBL|07. It's hard to lose when you dominate the Powerplay and hold that momentum.