Hobart Hurricanes is one of the eight teams that will feature in the seventh edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The WBBL starts from October 14. Hobart Hurricanes have a strong squad of 15, out of which three are overseas players, including one player from India (Richa Ghosh), New Zealand (Rachel Priest) and South Africa (Mignon du Preez) each.
Squad: Rachel Priest (captain), Nicola Carey, Tayla Vlaeminck, Mignon du Preez, Richa Ghosh, Angelina Genford, Maisy Gibson, Ruth Johnston, Sasha Moloney, Chloe Rafferty, Amy Smith, Molly Strano, Naomi Stalenberg, Belinda Vakarewa, Rachel Trenaman
Squad analysis
Rachel Priest:
The New Zealand opening bat and wicket-keeper will lead Hobart Hurricanes, who finished last in WBBL|06. She is an attacking right hand bat having wealth of experience in T20I cricket. She has muscled 873 runs in 64 innings. She also played for Trent Rockets in the inaugural Hundred.
Nicola Carey:
She is a right arm seamer and has the ability to contribute with the bat. She has an experience of playing 21 T20Is for Australia, in which she has picked up 15 wickets. With the bat, the southpaw averages 27. She was a vital cog in the Australian bowling line-up during the recently concluded India-Australia series.
Tayla Vlaeminck:
She is tall, she is quick and can give any batter run for her money. She can clock in speeds of 120kph regularly. She has lethal bouncers in her armoury. She has 13 wickets in as many T20I innings.
Mignon du Preez:
The vastly experienced South African top order bat has moved from Melbourne Stars to Hobart Hurricanes. She has played 108 T20Is for Proteas and has scored 1750 runs, including seven half centuries. Apart from her batting, she can keep wickets too.
Richa Ghosh:
She is an upcoming wicket-keeper bat from India, who has taken the world by storm with her good wicket-keeping skills and attacking batting style. She can clear boundaries at ease. She bats in the middle order and has the ability to finish games for her side.
Angelina Genford:
She is a right hand bat and right arm seamer. She was a part of the Australia U17 team that played Junior World Cup in New Zealand.
Maisy Gibson:
She is a left hand hand and right arm leg spinner, who plays her domestic cricket for Tasmania. Previously she represented Sydney Thunder in the WBBL and played her domestic cricket for New South Wales.
Ruth Johnston:
She is one of the youngest members in the side. She is a right hand bat and a right arm speedster.
Sasha Moloney:
She is a right hand bat and can bowl occasional right arm off spin. She plays her domestic cricket for Tasmania. She has featured in 46 WBBL matches and has scored 239 runs in 32 innings. She has also accounted for three wickets in nine innings. Apart from playing in Australia, she has also played some cricket in Ireland in 2015 when she was a member of the Typhoons team in Cricket Ireland Women’s Super 3’s Series, a competition involving both 50 over and T20 matches.
Chloe Rafferty:
She is a right arm quick, who plays her domestic cricket for Australian Capital Territory. Prior to signing up for Hobart Hurricanes, she played for Melbourne Stars. She has also played Indoor Cricket for Australia’s U-22 women’s team in a four-game Trans-Tasman Challenge series. Her national selection followed a successful campaign for the Victorian U-22.
Amy Smith:
She is the youngest player in the side. She is a right arm leg spinner, who plays her domestic cricket for Tasmania. She made her WBBL debut last season and featured in all 13 matches. She picked up eight wickets. With the kind of confidence she has and the skill set that she possesses she is looked upon as one of the greatest cricketing prospects nationwide.
Molly Strano:
She is a wily off spinner, who is also the all-time leading WBBL wicket-taker. Prior to joining Hobart Hurricanes, she played for Melbourne Renegades. She brings experience and versatility to the side with her ability to bowl in the powerplay and in the middle overs. She has also featured in seven T20Is for Australia picking up nine wickets, including the best of 5-10.
Naomi Stalenberg:
She is a right hand bat and right arm seamer, who represents New South Wales at the domestic level. She has also played one T20I for Australia against India in 2016. She was a part of Sydney Thunder set up before this. She is vastly experienced having played 81 WBBL matches and scored 1091 runs.
Belinda Vakarewa:
She is a right arm speedster, who is a part of New South Wales team. She has also played one ODI for Australia in 2017 against Sri Lanka. Prior to signing up for Hobart Hurricanes, she played for Sydney Thunder. She has wealth of experience in the WBBL as she has featured in 64 matches and picked up 49 wickets. She is known for her pace and has the ability to keep things tight.
Rachel Trenaman:
She is a top order bat and a leg spinner, who plays for New South Wales at the domestic level. However, due to ACL injury, she will miss the entire season.
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.
