Just a couple of days out from the landmark 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), the Melbourne Stars have confirmed a significant development, announcing all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, not Meg Lanning, as their captain for this season.
Meg, the most decorated captain in international cricket, hasn’t had hands on a WBBL title yet. She led the Melbourne Stars to fifth-place finishes in her first two seasons as captain, and after a three-year stint with the Perth Scorchers, returned to take the Stars to the top of the table in 2020-21, though they fell short in the Final. Last season, however, saw them drop to a disappointing sixth place.
The Stars’ leading run-scorer and wicket-taker last season, Annabel Sutherland, has now been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the team to championship glory as they enter a new era. This added role isn’t completely new to Annabel, who captained the Stars in the business end of the tournament last year during Meg’s absence.
Expressing her excitement for the opportunity, Annabel shared, “I did a couple of games at the back end of last year and enjoyed the opportunity. It’s going to be a new experience and I’m not expecting to get everything right, it’ll be a learning opportunity, for sure.”
Most recently, at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, Annabel emerged as the pick of the bowlers, claiming 9 wickets from 5 matches with an average of 10.22 and an economy rate of 5.15, though her batting opportunities were limited. However, her batting prowess shone in The Hundred 2024, where she scored 212 runs at a strike rate of 137.66 from just 7 outings, also taking 10 wickets and earning the title of Player of the Tournament.
Annabel has enjoyed a standout year, marked by a Test double-century and a high-value Women’s Premier League (WPL) bid, all built on a foundation of consistent domestic performances and impactful WBBL stints. Since debuting at age 15 for the Melbourne Renegades—as the youngest player to feature in the Big Bash—her career has been on a steady rise, especially since her switch to the Stars in 2018-19.
In the WBBL, Annabel Sutherland has amassed 1,187 runs from 74 innings at a strike rate of 104.67, while also taking 82 wickets from 82 matches with an economy rate of 7.16—her bests being 72 with the bat and 4/20 with the ball. Over the past two seasons, she has solidified her reputation as a match-winner, claiming 44 wickets and scoring 592 runs.
The Stars’ General Manager, Blair Crouch, spoke highly of Annabel, commenting, “Annabel has proven herself as a standout performer at both domestic and international level and has worked extremely hard on and developed her leadership skills, particularly over the last couple of years. Despite still being so young, Annabel is vastly experienced and her reputation within the game is second to none.”
The Stars will kick off their 10th WBBL campaign against the Perth Scorchers at the WACA Ground on the opening day, October 27, 2024.
Melbourne Stars squad for WBBL 10:
Yastika Bhatia, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, Hasrat Gill, Liv Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Ines McKeon, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Deepti Sharma, Annabel Sutherland
(Quotes sourced from Melbourne Stars media release)
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