Rejuvenated Burns has fresh Spring in her step for WBBL

In the aftermath of the Sydney Sixers' finals exit last WBBL season, Erin Burns reflected on where her future in the game lay.

The answer quickly presented itself, and the allrounder is now relishing her favourite time of the year after leading the Sixers to their first T20 Spring Challenge title.

As the 38-year-old prepares to enter her eighth season in magenta, Burns will personally head in with confidence following a player-of-the-match showing in Wednesday's Spring Challenge final against the Scorchers, where her experience with bat and ball shone through.

The allrounder top-scored with 41 from 36 deliveries, before her economical spell of 1-21 from four overs was pivotal in swinging the game back in the Sixers' favour following a strong start from the Scorchers top-order.

Burns made a remarkable return to play in Weber WBBL|11, returning to the field just four months after giving birth to daughter Nina.

Her contributions through the season were ultimately somewhat limited given the stacked – and in-form – Sixers top order, with Burns batting just six times, and with a plethora of bowling options, her offies were not required.

But she remained a mainstay of the Sixers setup, and as always, one of the competition's leading athletes in the field.

Following the club's defeat to the Scorchers in the Challenger last December, Burns thought about the future – and found the hunger to keep pulling on the magenta remained.

"You've got to have the love of the game, but I think for me, being off on maternity leave and then having Nina, it's been a nice little look at how retirement life would be," Burns said on Wednesday.

"Last year when Leah Poulton asked if I was keen on coming back or calling it a day, I was like, 'Oh, I don't know, I feel like there's still something there'.

"I've always loved particularly pulling on the magenta, and for me this time of year has always been the most exciting."

Burns sat out WBBL|10 after falling pregnant on the eve of the season, using a foot injury as a facade given she was still in the early stages.

Then in 2025, two months after giving birth in late June – with the support of the Sixers and her wife Anna – Burns started training again with an eye on WBBL|11.

This season, she will head in with a full preseason with NSW behind her.

"It feels a bit more normal – last year was obviously a bit rushed, and a bit chaotic with everything going on personally," Burns said.

"I've absolutely loved getting back into a full preseason with the Breakers, and at Cricket New South Wales in general we've got a really good culture, and I think that's flowing down to the Sixers, and I know the Thunder girls are speaking in a similar kind of vein.

"So personally, I'm feeling really good coming into this season. This (Spring Challenge) is a really nice warm-up, if you will, in shifting from 50-over to T20 stuff, and is a nice little segue into Big Bash."

The Sixers have kept the strong core of their team together heading into WBBL|12, outside of significant hole left by the retirement of Alyssa Healy.

They have been canny with their additions to the list, recruiting experienced match-winner Sarah Coyte from the Renegades and wicketkeeper Maddy Darke from the Scorchers – who will offer an option behind the stumps alongside the more left-field choice in England's Alice Capsey.

They also have a new coach at the helm, with NSW Breakers head coach Peter Clarke, who was an assistant last season, replacing Matthew Mott.

"I think having Peter Clarke at the helm this year will be awesome," Burns said. "He knows a lot of the domestic girls from coaching the New South Wales Breakers and has a great rapport with all the Aussie girls, having been in the Aussie setup (as a performance psychologist) for a long time.

"I think that's going to take us to the next level. I think everyone has always looked at the Sixers' list and has said (we're) probably a team to beat (then) not so much last year, but the last couple of years we probably underperformed.

"I think this is a really cool opportunity for us, with the list that we have, to really take it big this year.