The 25th match of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 08 will be played between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat on October 31. The game will begin at 9.30 AM IST (3 PM LOCAL).
Melbourne Stars will play their sixth game of the competition, having won one and lost three. On the other hand, Sydney Thunder will play their seventh game, having won one and lost four.
In this edition, the two teams have already locked horns against each other; however, the match did not produce a result due to rain.
Squads
Melbourne Stars: Alice Capsey, Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (captain), Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Hasrat Gill, Olivia Henry
Sydney Thunder: Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Jess Davidson, Rachael Haynes (captain), Phoebe Litchfield, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson, Tammy Beaumont, Anika Learoyd, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Chloe Tryon, Amy Jones, Corinne Hall, Belinda Vakarewa
Players to watch
Sophie Day:
The wily left-arm spinner of Melbourne Stars wreaked havoc with the ball in her last outing against Melbourne Renegades. She claimed 19/4 in four overs. Apart from being the most successful bowler, she was the most economical one. She bowled well in the middle phase of the innings.
Annabel Sutherland:
The talented all-rounder of Melbourne Stars won the player of the match award in her last appearance against Melbourne Renegades. With the bat, the right-hander mustered an unbeaten 42 off 48, including four boundaries. Bowling right-arm medium pace, she scalped 17/3 in four overs, including one maiden.
Phoebe Litchfield:
The left-handed opening batter of Sydney Thunder muscled 50 off 38, including nine boundaries, in her last fixture against Brisbane Heat. The southpaw registered her second consecutive half-century in the tournament. She provided a good start to her team and was there in the middle till the 13th over.
Lea Tahuhu:
The right-arm speedster of Sydney Thunder was the pick of the bowlers in her last encounter against Brisbane Heat. The New Zealander opened the bowling and claimed 31/3 in four overs, including two wickets in the 12th over. Besides her bowling, she is more than handy with the bat in the middle order.
Pitch
It will be the tournament’s fourth and final match at the venue. Out of the three games played here, the teams batting first have won one and the teams batting second have won two. The last fixture saw more than 330 runs being scored. Another high scoring contest could be on the cards.
Weather
The weather is expected to be cloudy, with a passing shower or two in the morning. The highest temperature attained during the day will be 14 degrees Celsius. There will be a 97 percent cloud cover and a 70 percent chance of rain. The wind will blow from the west-northwest.
Fantasy Playing XI
Lauren Winfield-Hill, Phoebe Litchfield, Alice Capsey, Rachael Haynes, Annabel Sutherland, Sammy Jo-Johnson, Kim Garth, Lauren Smith, Lea Tahuhu, Sophie Day, Sam Bates
Match Details
Date: October 31, 2022
Time: 9.30 AM IST (3 PM LOCAL)
Venue: Eastern Oval, Ballarat
Live streaming: Sony Sports Network (India), Foxtel (Australia), BT Sports (England)
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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.