Clean slate for Strikers following 'unique' season

Adelaide Strikers want to keep their fate in their own hands in Weber WBBL|12, after a strange season that saw them fall agonisingly short of a spot in the finals last summer.

The Strikers had two games washed out, and another abandoned in bizarre circumstances after a ball was accidentally rolled into the pitch. They still finished just one run short of a spot in the top four, but they overall appeared well off the pace of the other finals contenders.

Part of their issues stemmed back to below-expected contributions from some of their biggest names. With their internationals coming in far fresher this year – as opposed to coming off a gruelling two-month World Cup campaign prior to WBBL|11 – the signs are good for the Strikers.

Adelaide have kept their core together, with a few tweaks including swapping former England opener Tammy Beaumont for current England opener Maia Bouchier, while they have recruited batter Emma de Broughe from the Renegades, but lost ambidextrous spinner Jemma Barsby to the Thunder.

"Last year was a very unique season, it had it all," Strikers captain Tahlia McGrath told cricket.com.au. "It had balls being rolled into the pitch in the innings break, every single game had some sort of rain – a few injuries in there, it had it all.

"While all those things happened last year, we also didn't probably play to our potential. Batting was kind of below the mark, and we pride ourselves on our bowling and just missed a bit last year.

"We probably need to improve in all facets this season, but it's shaping together well with a great list. Our biggest strength has been keeping that core group of players, and we've done that again, and I'm really excited about the players we've added – Maia Bouchier and Emma de Broughe (provide) a point of difference; they play a little bit differently to some of the other batters in our line-up.

"Hopefully, a nice clean run for us this year and a chance to showcase our talent and a few fresh signings that I'm really excited about. It's a bit of a clean slate for us this year, and hopefully back playing some finals cricket."

Laura Wolvaardt still shone despite the pain of losing the World Cup final with the Proteas prior to WBBL|11, topping Adelaide's runs tally with 264, with her main support coming from Beaumont (234), Bridget Patterson (192) and Maddie Penna (192).

With the ball, Darcie Brown – scarcely used in the World Cup – topped the wickets with 11, but no other Strikers bowler hit double figures. Amanda-Jade Wellington took eight at 25, and England superstar Sophie Ecclestone took just six wickets at 39, going for almost eight runs an over. Brown, however, won't play in WBBL|12 due to a back injury.

Megan Schutt took just one wicket in five matches in an injury-hampered tournament, while Tahlia McGrath (107 runs and five wickets) struggled in both facets of her game.

Last season

Result: Sixth (3 wins, 4 losses, 3 no results)

 

Most runs: Laura Wolvaardt (264 runs, ave 44, SR 122)

 

Most wickets: Darcie Brown (11 wickets, ave 21.54, econ 7.64)

WBBL|12 squad

Maia Bouchier (England), Darcie Brown, Emma de Broughe, Sophie Ecclestone (England), Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Tahlia McGrath, Anesu Mushangwe, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ella Wilson, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) 

 

Ins: Maia Bouchier (Stars), Emma de Broughe (Renegades)

 

Outs: Tammy Beaumont, Jemma Barsby (Thunder)

 

Internationals: Maia Bouchier (England), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) 

 

Head coach: Luke Williams

Season schedule

Possible best XI

Maia Bouchier, Laura Wolvaardt, Emma de Broughe, Tahlia McGrath (c), Bridget Patterson (wk), Maddie Penna, Ellie Johnston, Sophie Ecclestone, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Eleanor Larosa, Megan Schutt 

Player availability

Darcie Brown has been ruled out of WBBL|12, with the Australia and Adelaide Strikers fast bowler still battling to overcome a back injury she picked up during the Australia A tour of India in September.

South Africa will host India in a Test match starting on December 9, but it's not yet clear how this may impact Laura Wolvaardt's availability for finals. England have no international commitments in December, meaning Sophie Ecclestone and Maia Bouchier should be available for the entire season.

Overseas recruits

Maia Bouchier (England): The 27-year-old has been in red-hot form of late, having re-established herself in England's ODI side following the retirement of Tammy Beaumont in July. She struck a one-day hundred against Ireland earlier this month, following it up with back-to-back centuries for Hampshire in county cricket, where she played alongside new Strikers teammate Amanda-Jade Wellington. Bouchier fills the overseas slot occupied by Beaumont in WBBL|11, as she joins a second Big Bash club having previously played for Melbourne Stars. She made her T20I debut against New Zealand in 2021 and has played 48 matches for England in the format.

Sophie Ecclestone (England): Ecclestone was snapped up by the Strikers in the WBBL|11 draft, having previously played for Sydney Sixers. Ecclestone is coming off an eight-wicket Hundred campaign for Manchester Super Giants at a superb economy rate of 5.65, which was second only to Charlie Dean (5.60) for the season.

Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa): The South Africa captain enters the final year of her multi-season deal with the Strikers and will again be key to their fortunes at the top of the order. She was their leading run-scorer in WBBL|11, scoring 264 runs at an average of 44 with a strike rate of 122.

Inside word with Strikers captain Tahlia McGrath

Re-signing Sophie Ecclestone

Working in tandem with Strikers stalwart Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ecclestone finished her first WBBL season in blue with six wickets at an average of 39.50; more than double her previous season average of 18.90 for the Sixers which yielded an 11-wicket return. Returns were generally mixed for the internationals following the ODI World Cup in India, which finished immediately before WBBL|11, and this time, Ecclestone will come in fresh off a break and on the back of a standout Hundred campaign in July-August.

"World-class bowler," McGrath said. "Not only that, but a good person and can whack a few with the bat as well. We're really excited to have her back. She played a massive role for us with the ball last year and bowled in all phases for us and with Schutt going down with injury, she had all the tough overs. She did a really good job for us, and excited that the squad, everything's more familiar for her this year, and she should have a good one for us."

The pace cartel

Given last season's leading wicket-taker Darcie Brown is set to miss the season with a back disc injury, the Strikers will be looking to Tahlia McGrath and Megan Schutt to lead the pace attack, with backup from youngster Eleanor Larosa.

"I don't think you can cover Darcie Brown, she's unique," McGrath said. "She's a special talent, and she's going to be very dearly missed.

"But we've got some good cover there. Anesu Mushangwe can bowl all phases and has done that for us in the past. We've got a couple of young quicks – Eleanor Larosa burst on the scene for us last year, took a four-for against the Sixers, so she's capable with the new ball. And Ella Wilson's been in our squad for a bit and bowls absolute gas. So some really good opportunity there for some of those youngsters with Darcie missing."

New faces

Alongside Bouchier, Emma de Broughe is the other new face and will strengthen the club's batting depth. De Broughe had limited opportunities across her three seasons with the Renegades, playing seven games and averaging 22, with an impressive strike rate of 133, in her debut season in 2023. But she played just eight games across the next two tournaments and averaged 10.

"Without looking too far into it, (Bouchier and de Broughe) will probably both bat in the top-order. They're both a bit unique," McGrath said.

"'Boosh' (Bouchier) is coming off an amazing England summer. She likes to take the game on and has great power and scores very freely. Emma's a bit unique in her scoring areas and how you set fields to her.

"They should complement each other quite well, and they're a little bit different to our other batters that perhaps tend to play a little bit more traditional than (those) we have had at the top of the order."

Player to watch

"I think Maddie Penna can strike a ball unbelievably and is extremely destructive," McGrath said. "She got moved around the batting order a bit last year, but hopefully with a bit more set role for her this year, she can have a really destructive tournament for us."

Biggest threats

"It's tough. You look at every single list on paper, and they all look pretty good. Sydney Sixers look pretty good; they've done well with their three overseas (recruits) and quality Australian and domestic players. But that's the beauty of the Big Bash, that anyone can beat anyone on their day, and you've got to be on for every fixture that you rock up for."