Sydney Sixers have secured the sign of accomplished left-arm fast bowler Lauren Cheatle for two more seasons
Left-arm quick signs long-term extension with Sixers
Sydney Sixers' have moved to secure their pace stocks for the long-term by extending their spearhead Lauren Cheatle's stay by at least two years.
The accomplished left-arm quick, whose previous deal with the club was to run until the end of the current season, will now be associated with the club until at least the end of WBBL|13.
Cheatle has been part of the Sixers outfit for nine years, having made the move across the town from Sydney Thunder, her club for the first two seasons, in 2017.
"The Sixers have been a huge part of my career and I'm proud to stay on for the next two seasons," said Cheatle.
"I believe in what we can achieve together, and I’m ready to continue to give everything in magenta."
The 27-year-old is fast approaching the 100-wicket milestone in the competition, sitting on 95 scalps from 93 games.
Among the players currently representing the Sixers, Cheatle has the second most wickets in WBBL history behind captain Ashleigh Gardner and the most for a fast bowler.
Her age may not make it apparent, but Cheatle boasts of a vast amount of experience, having made her international debut at the age of 17 in 2016.
She represented Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup the same year and now has international caps across all formats.
Having gone through a captaincy transition this season, the Sixers will also value the newly appointed NSW Breakers skipper's extension from a leadership standpoint.
Despite several run-ins with shoulder and back injuries and a fight with skin cancer that has required her to get the cancer removed twice, Cheatle has developed a reputation for her perseverance and ability to bounce back strongly from challenges.
"Lauren embodies everything we value at the Sixers – grit, talent, and an unwavering team-first attitude," said Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes.
"'Cheats' is adored by her teammates, a fierce attacking bowler and a fantastic leader on and off the field.
"We can't wait to watch her continue to pull on the magenta and take wickets!"
With teenage medium pace allrounder Caoimhe Bray and right-armer Courtney Sippel already locked in until the end of WBBL|12, Cheatle's extension will help Sixers go into the off-season feeling settled on the fast-bowling front.
But for now, the group's focus will be on pushing into the top four and securing a finals spot.
The Sixers are currently fifth on the WBBL|11 points table and will next face the Thunder in Sunday's Sydney smash at North Sydney Oval.
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HUR
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.662 | 0 | 15 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.313 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.132 | 0 | 12 |
|
4
STA
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.629 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
REN
|
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.121 | 0 | 10 |
|
6
STR
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.077 | 0 | 9 |
|
7
THU
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.124 | 0 | 9 |
|
8
HEA
|
10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | -0.869 | 0 | 1 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points