Draft targets: The players on the radar of WBBL clubs for picks 1-4

The No.1 draft pick provided plenty of entertainment ahead of last summer’s WBBL, when the Hobart Hurricanes cannily forced several of their rivals to use up their retention picks early before settling on English star Danni Wyatt-Hodge as their first selection.

This time around, Sydney Sixers hold the first pick in this month's WBBL|11 overseas player draft (scheduled for June 19) as they plot their path back to the finals under new coach Matthew Mott. The two-time champions have made the knockout stage just once in the past six seasons despite consistently boasting one of the strongest lists on paper.

With every club on the lookout for different roles and skillsets to complete their rosters for next season, we've broken down what the recruiters from last season's bottom four teams (who hold the first four picks) could be looking for with their WBBL|11 Draft picks.

1. Sixers | 2. Strikers | 3. Stars | 4. Scorchers 

Pick 1 – Sydney Sixers

Last season, the Hurricanes tried to take Sophie Ecclestone with their No.1 pick and the Sixers did not hesitate to exercise their right to retain the English superstar. This time around, the Sixers have both the first pick and retention rights to Ecclestone – assuming she has nominated – but will Matthew Mott have other ideas after taking over from Charlotte Edwards as head coach? Last year, the Hurricanes forced three clubs to use their retention rights before securing Danni Wyatt-Hodge, but if the Sixers are indeed set on keeping Ecclestone, it would be a tremendously risky strategy to try the same approach this season. Ecclestone picked up 11 wickets in seven appearances in WBBL|11, forming a formidable spin trio with and Ashleigh Gardner and NZ star Amelia Kerr, who still has two years to run on her contract and who was allocated pick No.10 at last year’s draft in the second round.

The area were the Sixers struggled the most was in the batting department, with Alyssa Healy missing the majority of the season with foot and knee injuries and Erin Burns also out for the entirety of WBBL|10. Ellyse Perry dominated with 424 runs, but their next highest scorer was Scotland ‘keeper Sarah Bryce – an associate rookie whose opportunity came thanks to Healy’s injury woes - who hit 169. Their other overseas draftee, Hollie Armitage, returned 120 runs at a strike rate of 99. Could the Sixers pass up Ecclestone and try to use their No.1 pick to snag a world-class top-to-middle-order batter instead?

Pick 2 – Adelaide Strikers

The Strikers have a bit to ponder after a fall from grace that saw the back-to-back champions finish seventh on the table last season, and they have already secured Laura Wolvaardt as their pre-signing. The South African was retained by the club as a platinum pick in the first round of last year’s draft, but even if she's allocated the same value this year, Adelaide could still use their first pick on another player, with platinum players still eligible to be taken in the second round.

There is no doubting the class and skill of Wolvaardt, India’s Smriti Mandhana and Katie Mack, and other clubs would love to have just one of the trio, let alone all three, as the Strikers did last season. However, Adelaide’s top order did have an element of ‘sameness’ to it, given the three stars are accumulators who tend to go about building their innings in a similar fashion. With that in mind, the club could potentially look to target a more aggressive top-order option.

On the other hand, the Strikers’ overall batting stats actually improved last season despite their disappointing result, and it was their bowling – which was the key factor in securing them back-to-back titles – that was left wanting in WBBL|10, with only Megan Schutt matching her usual standards. You would expect their other local stars including Amanda-Jade Wellington to bounce back this season, and they are stacked in the pace department, but the Strikers could also look to an overseas spin option – or a spin-bowling allrounder – to complement their two leggies and the ambidextrous Jemma Barsby.

Pick No.3 - Melbourne Stars

The Stars already have South African allrounder Marizanne Kapp on the books, who they allocated pick 12 last year. They drafted Deepti Sharma with their platinum pick No.6, but the experienced Indian allrounder did not produce her best in either discipline, averaging 10 with the bat and taking just two wickets.

Their third overseas spot was filled by another Indian, Yastika Bhatia, who started strong with a half-century but whose returns then dropped off before she suffered a season-ending injury. Their pace stocks look healthy with Kapp, Annabel Sutherland and Kim Garth, but they have lost an allrounder following Tess Flintoff's defection to the Renegades.

An aggressive top-order batter would also slot in nicely with the likes of Sutherland and Meg Lanning. Last season, they deployed 17-year-old Ines McKeon at the top in her debut season with mixed results, and while the teenager has a big future ahead, they could potentially do with a more experienced hand. The Stars could also look at an international-class spinner to join left-armer Sophie Day, to address an area on the list where the club has less depth.

Pick No.4 - Perth Scorchers

Alongside the Stars, the Scorchers also have plenty to think about heading into the draft. Perth missed the finals for the second consecutive season last summer, with a lack of batting support for Aussie superstar Beth Mooney a significant factor. While the wicketkeeper-batter was the competition's third highest run scorer with 386 at 38.6, the Scorchers' next highest contributor was Kiwi Sophie Devine, with 213 at 23.6.

Overseas draftees Amy Jones (87 runs from seven games at 12.42) and Hemalatha Dayalan (99 in eight at 12.37) also did not perform as hoped, with both outscored by replacement player Brooke Halliday, who hit 109 runs at 36.33 in just three innings. Their most productive local player after Mooney was pinch hitter Alana King with 105 runs, and no other player passed 100 runs for the season.

While they need to address those batting issues on a local front, they will also need to nail the draft. Coach Becky Grundy admitted as much when she re-signed with the club earlier this year, saying they would reflect on their draft strategy and pinpointing the need for a batting allrounder.

Devine is back as part of her multi-season deal; she was allocated pick No.8 in the first round last year as a platinum player, but the Scorchers would have the option to select her in the second round this time and go after a different player with their first pick.