FOMO no more as Burns returns with a bang

Erin Burns is embracing the joy of being back in magenta this Weber WBBL|08 season, as the rejuvenated Sydney Sixers make an early statement to the remainder of the competition.

Burns was forced to watch from afar as the Sixers missed the finals for a third consecutive season in WBBL|07, left stranded in New South Wales due to border closures.

She had initially only planned to miss the start of the season – having opted to spend extra time at home with her pregnant wife following her return from The Hundred and subsequent stint in hotel quarantine – but was ultimately prevented from leaving the state at all.

Burns wasted no time reminding everyone what they had been missing when the current season kicked off a fortnight ago, hitting a half-century in the opening game of the season against Brisbane Heat in Mackay.

Even more impressive was her 52-ball 71 against the Strikers in Adelaide, which almost snatched the most unlikely of victories before she was dismissed in the final over with her team just four runs shy of victory.

Two weeks into the tournament, Burns is sitting third on the league runs tally, with her 143 runs coming at an average of 47.66 and an even more impressive strike rate of 155.

"It's unreal," Burns told The Scoop podcast of her WBBL return. "I had official FOMO last year, having not been able to get across border lines and it was pretty frustrating with how that season eventuated.

"But (it's given me) a little bit more of a fire to get back into it this season.

"I'm not just speaking for myself here but I think us as a Sixers group, we're just really, really enjoying our cricket.

"I think there's a really good vibe and a really good buzz about the group and some new faces and certainly some old faces as well.

"There just seems to be like a really a really good fun atmosphere at the moment ... you're going to enjoy your cricket a hell of a lot more when you're around a group that really gels quite well.

"I'm loving it so far."

The arrival of England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, New Zealand opener Suzie Bates and a new coach in England great Charlotte Edwards have been instrumental in generating those good vibes.

The trio have helped breathe fresh air into the Sixers, who found themselves in the bottom half of the table for the past three seasons despite boasting, on paper, one of the strongest lists in the league.

Currently they sit third on the table with three wins from four matches, with their narrow defeat to the Strikers the only blemish on their record to date.

"They've been awesome," Burns said. "(Edwards) just brings a really good energy to the group.

"In talking with her during the preseason about what her vision was for the team, she identified that there's a lot of talent floating about the group.

"So for her, it was less about really honing down on things tactically and skills wise, and more about trying to bring the group together and finding that little spark.

"She's a really funny person just in general and always brings a really fun, light energy to things and doesn't like to overcomplicate things, which I think in particularly T20 cricket is really beneficial."

The Sixers have the oldest list in the league in terms of average age, with 34-year-old Burns joined by a host of experienced internationals in Ellyse Perry (31), Alyssa Healy (32), Nicole Bolton (33) and Bates (35).

But it is the blend of youth and experience that Burns sees as a strength for the club, with the likes of Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Jade Allen, Angie Genford, Stella Campbell and Kate Peterson - all 25 or younger - also on the list.

"It's awesome to have the list that we have, (there’s) certainly experience and some older heads but (also) the young girls coming through like Maitlan Brown, Angie Genford, she's a talent for the future, Kate Peterson ...  a lot of the younger girls coming through bring such energy and are equally as influential on the group."

Tickets for Weber WBBL and KFC BBL games are on sale now. Get yours at cricket.com.au/big-bash