Force of nature: The Hurricanes' history of WBBL imports

The Big Bash Draft is almost upon us as the league's eight clubs ramp up their preparations for the next season of the Weber WBBL.

Clubs will add at least two overseas players to their list for the tenth season of the competition at the draft on June 19.

The Hobart Hurricanes signed big-hitter Lizelle Lee on a two-year deal ahead of WBBL|10 using the multi-year signing rules - although she has since become an Australian citizen and could play as a local in WBBL|11, with the club yet to clarify her status.

After 10 seasons of the WBBL, we're looking back, club-by-club, at every import that has turned out in the tournament, memorable or otherwise.

History of overseas signings

WBBL|01 - Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Amy Satterthwaite 

 

WBBL|02 - Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Amy Satterthwaite, Isobel Joyce

 

WBBL|03 - Veda Krishnamurthy, Hayley Matthews, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Isobel Joyce

 

WBBL|04 - Heather Knight, Smriti Mandhana, Hayley Matthews, Alex Hartley

 

WBBL|05 - Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Fran Wilson, Chloe Tyron

 

WBBL|06 - Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tyron, Hayley Jensen, Rachel Priest

 

WBBL|07 - Mignon du Preez, Richa Ghosh, Rachel Priest

 

WBBL|08 - Mignon du Preez. Hayley Jensen, Lizelle Lee, Issy Wong

 

WBBL|09 - Shabnim Ismail, Bryony Smith, Lizelle Lee

 

WBBL|10: Lizelle Lee, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Chloe Tryon, Suzie Bates, Kathryn Bryce 

The players (sorted by matches played)

Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

Seasons: WBBL|01 - WBBL|06

 

M 56 | Runs 865 | HS 77 | SR 98.1 | Avg 18.03

 

WKTS 40 | BBI 5-19 | Econ 6.66 | Avg 22.83

Hayley Matthews started her WBBL career in Hobart as a 17-year-old and has become one of the most recognisable faces of the competition. It took some time for the allrounder to adapt before she went on to lead the wicket tally in her second season and then take out the Hurricanes’ MVP the next year. She holds the record for most player-of-the-match performances in purple with five, showing her impact as the most capped Hurricanes international player.

Heather Knight (England)

Seasons: WBBL|01 - WBBL|05

 

M 55 | Runs 1353 | HS 82* | SR 107.64 | Avg 26.53

 

WKTS 39 | BBI 3-7 | Econ 6.92 | Avg 27.17

Heather Knight cemented herself as one of the greatest ever Hurricanes from the moment she joined the club in the inaugural year. She was named in the Team of the Tournament in WBBL|01 and took out the club’s MVP award in WBBL|01 and WBBL|04. She still stands as the all-time leading run scorer and has also taken the most catches as well.

Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|08 - WBBL|10

 

M 46 | Runs 1356 | HS 150* | SR 140.08 | Avg 33.90

A stunning run of form during WBBL|10 saw Lizelle Lee usurp Heather Knight has the club's highest run scorer. Her WBBL|09 campaign was headlined by her 101 against the Renegades where she clubbed four sixes and 12 fours, but she went bigger a year later, hitting back-to-back centuries including a new WBBL all-time highest score of 150no. 

Chloe Tyron (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|05 - WBBL|06, WBBL|10

 

M 35 | Runs 495 | HS 46 | SR 135.24 | Avg 21.52

South African allrounder Chloe Tyron had her two best seasons with the bat when playing for the Hurricanes in WBBL|05-06. Playing lower down the order, she hit two scores in the forties in her first season and a score of 36 against the Renegades. She returned to the club for WBBL|10 but could not replicate that form, averaging 13 with a high score of 35, alongside her four wickets.

Mignon du Preez (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|07 - WBBL|08

 

M 29 | Runs 794 | HS 87 | SR 117.98 | Avg 31.76

After becoming synonymous with the Stars in the early years of the competition Mignon du Preez swapped green for purple in WBBL|07. She had an immediate impact taking out lead run scorer honours in back-to-back years. She passed 50 seven times in, including a memorable half-century against her old side to keep the Hurricanes’ season alive in WBBL|07.

Rachel Priest (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|06 - WBBL|07

 

M 27 | Runs 616 | HS 107 | SR 111.59 | Avg 26.78

Rachel Priest had a prolific WBBL|06 with the Hurricanes, her first WBBL century coming that season. The hundred helped her on her way to the top of the runs leaderboard and the MVP voting for that season. She showed fans her brilliance when she made scores of 92 and 83 during her time at the club.

Amy Satterthwaite (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|01 - WBBL|02

 

M 24 | Runs 561 | HS 57 | SR 97.06 | Avg 35.06

 

WKTS 29 | BBI 5-17 | Econ 6.30 | Avg 16.79

The experienced Amy Satterthwaite provided plenty of highlights during her time at the Hurricanes. One of those highlights was her hat-trick against the Thunder before going on to take five wickets for the game. She was extremely consistent across two seasons with both the bat and ball culminating in a MVP award in WBBL|02 and second place in the Player of the Tournament the same season.

Hayley Jensen (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|06 & WBBL|08

 

M 16 | W 7 | BB 2-13 | Econ 7.34 | Avg 47

Hayley Jensen played two games during the COVID-interrupted 2020 season of WBBL and didn’t take a wicket or hit the scoreboard. She was recalled in WBBL|08 after England fast bowler Issy Wong couldn’t make it for the season and played every game taking seven wickets as she helped Hurricanes to the finals.

Richa Ghosh (India)

Seasons: WBBL|07

 

M 14 | Runs 162 | HS 46 | SR 95.29 | Avg 12.46

Richa Ghosh came to the WBBL as one of the most exciting talents for India. Debuting at 17, she was the youngest of the seven Indian players who descended on the competition in 2021. The wicketkeeper-batter showed her potential in the middle order, with two scores in the 20s and high score of 46.

Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|09

 

M 14 | W 13 | BB 3-34 | Econ 6.23 | Avg 23.23

Fast bowler Shabnim Ismail found her way to the Hurricanes via the international player draft. After getting taken with pick 5, Ismail showed her worth with 13 wickets in her 14 games. She struck with multiple wickets three times and her best figures were 3-34.

Smriti Mandhana (India)

Seasons: WBBL|04

 

M 13 | Runs 318 | HS 69 | SR 144.55 | Avg 24.46

Smriti Mandhana was a big coup for the Hurricanes luring the superstar batter to the club from the Heat. Mandhana found her feet in her second season of WBBL, finishing with 318 runs and a high score of 69 from 41 balls against the Stars. Unfortunately the injection of the quality batter didn’t lift the Hurricanes from the bottom of the ladder where they finished for a second straight year.

Alex Hartley (England)

Seasons: WBBL|04

 

M 13 | W 7 | BB 3-21 | Econ 8.21 | Avg 44.57

Alex Hartley played just one season of the WBBL and it was down in Hobart. The left-arm spinner picked up seven wickets but was expensive at times with her bowling. Her best figures of 3-21 came against the Renegades where she got her England teammate Danni Wyatt out for a golden duck.

Fran Wilson (England)

Seasons: WBBL|05

 

M 13 | Runs 210 | HS 45 | SR 96.33 | Avg 17.50

After spending a season at the Thunder Fran Wilson headed south for the following season. The middle-order batter was consistent across her 13 appearances in purple with her best performance a 45-run stand against the Renegades. That season was the last time Wilson has played in the WBBL.

Bryony Smith (England)

Seasons: WBBL|09

 

M 13 | Runs 90 | HS 28 | SR 68.18 | Avg 7.50

Bryony Smith was picked up by the Hurricanes in the international player draft for her first season in Australia. It was tough campaign for the England international representative with just 90 runs to show for her time. 

Kathryn Bryce (Scotland)

Seasons: WBBL|10

 

M 10 | Runs 84 | HS 34 | SR 133.33 | Avg 16.80

 

WKTS 5 | BBI 2-22 | Econ 7.91 | Avg 35.60

Scotland skipper Bryce was signed by the Hurricanes for WBBL|10 under the league's revamped associate signing rules, which allowed clubs to bring associate players into their 15-player squads as replacements for injured local players or absent internationals, and play them alongside the three existing international players in the XI.  

Veda Krishnamurthy (India) 

Seasons: WBBL|03

 

M 9 | Runs 144 | HS 40 | SR 101.41 | Avg 18.00

Veda Krishnamurthy’s only season in the WBBL was underwhelming for the star Indian player. Her best moments came in the Hurricanes’ first win of the season against the Heat where she took a wicket and top scored with 33. 

Lauren Winfield-Hill (England)

Seasons: WBBL|03

 

M 9 | Runs 144 | HS 40 | SR 101.41 | Avg 18.00

Hurricanes were Lauren Winfield-Hill’s second WBBL club and the English batter couldn’t find form in purple. She started opening the batting and was moved to the middle order but couldn’t make a score higher than 15 in a disappointing campaign. 

Isobel Joyce (Ireland)

Seasons: WBBL|02 - WBBL|03

 

M 7 | Runs 123 | HS 52 | SR 94.62 | Avg 24.60

Isobel Joyce is one of just two Ireland players to play in the WBBL with the batter taking part in two seasons. Joyce played just one game in WBBL|02 and increased to six games the next season. In five of those games she took the reins as captain for two wins. Her best score, an unbeaten 52, came against the Scorchers and she also has one wicket to her name.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England)

Seasons: WBBL|10 

 

M 7 | Runs 125 | HS 62 | SR 128.86 | Avg 17.85

England star Wyatt-Hodge was drafted by the Hurricanes, who held pick No.1, ahead of WBBL|10. The club hoped the experienced opener would address some of their batting issues, but with her availability limited by international commitments, she managed to pass 50 just once in seven appearances. 

Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|10 

 

M 4 | Runs 49 | HS 17 | SR 98 | Avg 12.25

The legendary New Zealander was signed as a replacement player after Wyatt-Hodge departed for international duties. 

Issy Wong (England)

Seasons: WBBL|08

 

DNP

Issy Wong was signed for the Hurricanes but was ruled out before touching down in the country due to injury.