No longer kept in the Darke, Maddy finds her feet

Maddy Darke is relishing a long-awaited chance to bat in a top order featuring international stars Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney as she looks to make her mark on Weber WBBL|09. 

The 22-year-old originally hails from Sydney and is in her second season at the Scorchers after past stints at both the Sixers and Melbourne Stars. 

The wicketkeeper-batter did not play a game in orange in WBBL|08 but enjoyed a breakout domestic one-day campaign last summer in her second season with Western Australia, where she finished eighth on the overall runs tally having hit 475 at 52 including one century and three fifties.

Darke finally made her Scorchers debut in their first game of this tournament and since, has posted scores of 9, 0, 45no and 45. 

"I've definitely had a bit of a nervy start, this is my first real crack at the Big Bash so I'm just trying to find my feet a little bit," Darke told cricket.com.au following Sunday’s loss to the Stars. 

"I’m definitely happy with parts of (Sunday’s game), but it's shame we couldn't get over the line. 

"I love the Scorchers and I think the continuity with playing my cricket at the WACA really suits me." 

It was that most recent effort against the Stars in Melbourne that provided the backbone of an innings where the remainder of the top four were dismissed for nine runs apiece, keeping the Scorchers in a chase they ultimately lost by seven runs.

"I'm pretty lucky with our internationals, also having Lauren Winfield-Hill and Jonesy and we've got Nat Sciver coming (as well as Devine and Mooney)," Darke continued.  

"I'm pretty lucky to be in amongst that and trying to learn as much as I can.  

"T20 has got so many different scenarios that can be thrown at us, so I'm just trying to embrace that learning opportunity." 

Darke has needed to be patient for her chances in the Big Bash since debuting for the Sixers in WBBL|05 in 2019. 

She played 11 games in her first season but batted on just six occasions for a high score of 13, then played just two matches the following year.  

Darke’s sole season at the Stars in WBBL|07 saw her play four games where she batted just once, scoring 7 coming in at No.9. 

The right-hander made the big call to pack up her life and move from Sydney to Perth in 2021 seeking greater opportunity via a state contract with Western Australia, having found herself behind both Alyssa Healy and Tahlia Wilson in the NSW wicketkeeping pecking order. 

At WA, Mooney takes the gloves when available, but the Aussie star played just four out of 14 games in 2022-23 due to international commitments and another busy schedule will likely restrict her to one appearance this time around, providing Darke with plenty of time behind the stumps. 

At the Scorchers she is third in line for the gloves behind Mooney and England wicketkeeper Amy Jones, but the improvements she has made to her batting mean she is a strong chance to remain a core member of their best XI throughout WBBL|09. 

The chance to learn from both Mooney and Jones is also invaluable. 

Darke is among a group of similarly aged wicketkeepers who could eventually find themselves vying for the spot in the Australian team currently occupied by Healy (and on occasion, Mooney), alongside the Thunder’s Tahlia Wilson, the Stars’ Nicole Faltum and Renegade Josie Dooley. 

Of that quartet, all three of Darke, Faltum and Wilson were selected for Australia A’s tour of the UK in June – evidence of how open that race currently is. 

"Moons will do it differently to Jonesy, we have a bit of a joke (about it), she's an English keeper and I'm clearly not, so everything I say is the complete opposite to what she wants to do," Darke said of what she was learning from her teammates.  

"But it's definitely great to learn and to pick and choose a bit." 

The Scorchers now enter a string of three home games sitting fourth on the table with two wins and two losses. 

Making the most of this stint at the WACA still be crucial, with a five-game road trip to follow. 

"It’s very important in the context of the competition," Darke said.  

"We're also really pumped to have a week where we've got three games at the WACA … we've done a lot of travelling early doors."

Weber WBBL|09 Standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points