As we near the finals of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2024, the top four teams are set to compete for the championship title. This article will highlight the WBBL team of the tournament, selected by the head coaches of the eight participating clubs.
2024 WBBL Team of the Tournament:
Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers):
Sydney Sixers’ captain Ellyse Perry led the tournament in runs scored, amassing 424 runs with a commendable strike rate of 137.21 and an extraordinary average of 53 across 10 innings. Her performance includes four fifties, highlighted by a top score of 86 (off 62 balls) against the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, on November 6, 2024. She has also been named the Golden Bat winner for this year’s edition of the tournament. In addition to her batting, she secured 6 wickets with the ball at an economy rate of 7.30 over the same number of innings.
Lizelle Lee (Hobart Hurricanes):
Lizelle Lee, the wicket-keeper batter for the Hobart Hurricanes, has made a mark in the tournament as her side’s top run-scorer and the third overall in the competition, with 376 runs at a remarkable average of 163.47 in 10 innings. Her haul features two centuries, including a standout performance of 150* (off 75 balls) against the Perth Scorchers at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on November 10, 2024.
Beth Mooney (WK) (Perth Scorchers):
Perth Scorchers’ wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney enjoyed a stellar season, finishing as her team’s leading run-scorer and the second overall with 386 runs at a strike rate of 133.10 and an average of 38.60 in 10 innings. Her runs included three half-centuries, with her highest score being 97 (off 64 balls) in a match against Sydney Thunder on November 15, 2024, although it ended in defeat.
Georgia Voll (Sydney Thunder):
Emerging talent Georgia Voll from Sydney Thunder has had a breakout season, leading her team in runs and ranking fourth overall in the tournament with 310 runs at an impressive strike rate of 147.61 and an average of 34.44 in 10 innings. Notably, she scored an unbeaten 97* (off 56 balls) to guide her team to victory over the Perth Scorchers on November 15, 2024, at the MCG.
Phoebe Litchfield (Sydney Thunder):
Sydney Thunder leader Phoebe Litchfield has also shone in the tournament, being the second-highest run-scorer for her team and fifth overall, with 281 runs at a strike rate of 135.74 and an average of 28.10 over 10 innings. Her best effort included a half-century (51 runs off 37 balls) against Hobart Hurricanes on October 28, 2024, at the Bellerive Oval.
Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades):
Vice-captain Hayley Matthews has been the leading run-scorer for Melbourne Renegades, achieving 255 runs with a strong strike rate of 136.36 and an average of 36.42 in 9 innings. Her performance features two half-centuries, with her highest score being 85* (off 54 balls) against the Adelaide Strikers on November 11, 2024, at Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide. Additionally, she has claimed 12 wickets at an economy of 6.88 in 9 innings, making her the third highest wicket-taker for her team.
Sophie Molineux (C) (Melbourne Renegades):
Melbourne Renegades’ captain Sophie Molineux has had a challenging season, missing several matches due to a knee injury. Nonetheless, she is the leading wicket-taker for her team and ranks fifth overall in the tournament with 15 wickets from six matches at an economy rate of 7.12. Her achievements include two four-wicket hauls, with her standout figures being 4-0-17-4 against the Perth Scorchers on November 2, 2024, at Junction Oval in Melbourne. She has also contributed with the bat, scoring 134 runs at a strike rate of 157.64 and an average of 33.50 in five innings, including a half-century against Adelaide Strikers on November 3, 2024, with a score of 64 (off 32 balls).
Alana King (Perth Scorchers):
Leg-spinner Alana King from the Perth Scorchers has been named the Golden Arm of this tournament after taking 20 wickets at an economy of 7.06 and an impressive average of 13.30 over 10 innings. Her standout performance included a five-wicket haul against the Brisbane Heat on November 5, 2024, with exceptional match figures of 4-0-16-5. In addition to her bowling, she has contributed 105 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 106.06 across 10 innings.
Chloe Ainsworth (Perth Scorchers):
Emerging fast bowler Chloe Ainsworth enjoyed a strong season with the ball, finishing as the second highest wicket-taker for her team with 12 wickets at an impressive economy of 5.86 and an average of 18.58 over 10 innings. Additionally, she scored 94 runs at a strike rate of 105.61 across 9 innings for her side.
Shikha Pandey (Brisbane Heat):
Shikha Pandey has made her presence felt in the WBBL, being one of six Indian players in the tournament, sharing this distinction with Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, and Dayalan Hemalatha. Shikha stands out as the only Indian to secure a position in the WBBL Team of the Tournament, marking a successful debut season. She was the second highest wicket-taker for Brisbane Heat, taking 12 wickets at an economy of 6.68 and an average of 19.50 in 10 innings.
Samantha Bates (Sydney Thunder):
The 28-year-old left-arm spinner Samantha Bates from Sydney Thunder emerged as her team’s leading wicket-taker and the second highest overall in the tournament, amassing 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.57 and an average of 12.10 in 10 innings. Her standout performance occurred against the Adelaide Strikers on November 1, 2024, at North Sydney Oval, where she achieved outstanding figures of 4-0-21-4.
Georgia Wareham (Melbourne Renegades):
Twenty-five-year-old leg-spinner Georgia Wareham, from Melbourne Renegades, currently ranks fourth for her team with 11 wickets at an economy of 7.56 and an average of 22 in 10 innings completed. In addition, she has contributed significantly with the bat, ranking third for her side with 206 runs at a strike rate of 122.61 and an impressive average of 29.42 in 8 innings. Her tally includes two half-centuries, highlighted by a career-best performance of 69 (off 45 balls) against the Hobart Hurricanes on November 21, 2024, at Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Image Source: Shikha Pandey @ Instagram
