Just four years after making her Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) debut as a 16-year-old year 10 student, Phoebe Litchfield is set for the ultimate honour at the Sydney Thunder in the upcoming landmark 10th edition of the WBBL.
Phoebe will captain the Sydney Thunder this season, becoming the youngest full-time captain in WBBL history at 21 years and 193 days old. Notably, Hannah Darlington remains the youngest player to captain a WBBL game, stepping in for Rachael Haynes in 2021 at just 19 years and 262 days, also with the Sydney Thunder.
Upon receiving the captaincy honours, Phoebe remarked, “It’s a huge honour to be named captain of Sydney Thunder. I’ve grown up playing for this club and learning from some incredible leaders, so to now have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of players is really exciting. We’ve got a great mix of experience and young raw talent, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of captaining the side this season.”
At Sydney Thunder, Phoebe takes over the captaincy from Heather Knight, who led the team last year but is racing against time to be fully fit for the first game and is confirmed to miss the latter part of the season due to international commitments. The Thunder have retained Heather’s services, and alongside her, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Chamari Athapaththu, and Georgia Adams will mentor the newly appointed young captain.
Sydney Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland praised Phoebe as “mature beyond her years” and called her promotion to captaincy a “natural progression,” stating, “She’s young, but her experience in the game makes this a natural progression. Phoebe has always been mature beyond her years, and her leadership qualities have been evident from the moment she joined Thunder.
“We’ve seen Phoebe thrive under pressure, whether it’s for Australia in the World Cup or in key moments for Thunder. She’s a great leader, both by character and by example, and we are excited to see her step into this role.”
Phoebe made her WBBL debut on October 18, 2019, scoring 26 runs off 22 balls, and followed that with a record 52*, becoming the youngest player to register a half-century in WBBL history. She accumulated 187 runs from 11 outings that season, cementing her place in the team. To date, she has played 63 matches and amassed 1,212 runs, with an average of 24.24 and a strike rate of 111.91.
Last season, Phoebe not only registered a new WBBL best of 68, but also tallied her best in a single season, amassing 309 runs from 14 outings. Her rise from a local sensation to a demanded batter in global tournaments has been fast-paced, as she has already showcased her talent in England’s The Hundred and India’s Women’s Premier League, two marquee women’s franchise tournaments.
Phoebe has also found success in national colours, quickly establishing herself as a regular across formats since her debut in December 2022. She boasts an impressive average of 40.75 in both white-ball formats, accumulating 326 runs from 16 T20I innings at a strike rate of 148.18 and amassing 652 runs from 19 innings, including two centuries and two fifties.
The Thunder will kick off their 10th WBBL campaign against the Hobart Hurricanes on October 28, with a rematch against the same opponent at their home ground, North Sydney Oval, on October 31.
Sydney Thunder squad for WBBL 10:
Phoebe Litchfield (C), Georgia Adams, Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson
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