Match no. 36 of the ongoing 2023 edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will feature a clash between Perth Scorchers and Sydney Thunder at Junction Oval, Melbourne. The game is slated for the 12th of November, 2023, and gets underway at 4:40 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Perth Scorchers – Sophie Devine (C), Lauren Winfield-Hill, Amy Jones, Charis Bekker, Piepa Cleary, Amy Edgar, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Lisa Griffith, Lilly Mills, Chloe Piparo, Nat Sciver-Brunt
Sydney Thunder – Marizanne Kapp, Heather Knight (C), Lauren Bell, Samantha Bates, Paris Bowdler, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson, Chamari Athapaththu
Players to watch out:
Sophie Devine
The 34-year-old all-rounder averaging 38.66 had piled on 3673 runs from 114 WBBL outings and has also scalped 93 wickets from 103 bowling outings, including respective bests of 106 and 5/41. Sophie has been extraordinary this summer for the Scorchers with 415 runs at a strike rate of 156.60 and 9 wickets from 9 games. In her previous couple of outings, Sophie has registered scores of 106 and 70*, while has returned figures of 2/33 and 0/22.
Alana King
The 27-year-old leg-spinner, in 98 bowling innings, has claimed 99 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.66, and has chipped in scoring 508 runs from 56 batting innings. It was a crucial phase for Alana, and she hasn’t failed to impress one bit. She has returned bowling figures of 1/20, 0/24, 2/15, and 1/21 in her previous 4 outings and will be relied upon to continue delivering the goods.
Phoebe Litchfield
The 20-year-old top-order batter, in 56 WBBL outings, has amassed 1098 runs, averaging 25.53, with a strike rate of 112.73. Phoebe had a brilliant start to her season with scores of 54*, 18*, and 68, but has lost her momentum, failing to convert starts and departing for 27, 17, and 5 in her recent outings. Phoebe has been timing the ball very well and will want to make the most of this form.
Samantha Bates
The 27-year-old off-spinner has picked up 97 wickets, including the best of 3/9, from 103 bowling innings. Samantha averages 23.11 and has a strike rate of 22.97 while maintaining an economy rate of 6.15. With only a couple of wickets against her name, she has had a hard run this season but has consistently sent down economical spells, producing figures of 0/25 (4), 0/29 (4), 0/28 (4), and 1/16 (4) in her previous 4 outings.
Pitch:
The wicket at Junction Oval, Melbourne, provides a certain degree of assistance to the batters. Although it is a batting-friendly surface, the average score at the venue remains in the 140s, indicating there’s assistance for bowlers, both spinners and pacers to exploit.
Weather:
The conditions are ideal to be at the Junction Oval as the chances of rain are minimal with the overhead expected to be bright and clear. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 17°C with moderate winds, and humidity of 57%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Beth Mooney, Tahlia Wilson, Heather Knight, Phoebe Litchfield, Chamari Athapaththu, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Devine, Marizanne Kapp, Amy Edgar, Alana King, Hannah Darlington
Match details:
Date – November 12, 2023
Time – 4:40 AM IST
Venue – Junction Oval, Melbourne
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
