In the opening day fixtures of the landmark 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), in match no. 3, the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars will face off at the Western Australia Cricket Ground, Perth. The game is slated for the 27th of October 2024, at 3:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Perth Scorchers Women
Beth Moony, Sophie Devine, Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Dayalan Hemalatha, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Amy Jones, Alana King, Carly Leeson, Lilly Mills, Chloe Piparo
Melbourne Stars Women
Annabel Sutherland, 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
Players to watch out:
Beth Mooney
The 30-year-old keeper-batter, from 131 WBBL innings, has racked up 4665 runs at an average of 47.12, a strike rate of 124.63, and recorded 41 fifties and three centuries, with the highest score of 102. Beth has scored 400-plus runs in every WBBL season and had her fourth 500-plus-run season last summer. Leading up to this campaign, she recorded three scores in the 40s from five outings and can be trusted to lead the scoring.
Amy Edgar
The 26-year-old all-rounder, from 18 WBBL innings, has added 221 runs at a strike rate of 98.66, and from 20 outings has picked up 24 wickets at an economy rate of 6.75. Last season, while Amy added only 91 runs from 10 innings, she picked up 20 wickets from 15 outings. In her only outing in this domestic season so far, she scored 22 runs and returned figures of 2/22 in a one-dayer and can be counted on for improved efforts.
Meg Lanning
The 32-year-old top-order batter, from 88 WBBL innings, has amassed 3009 runs at an average of 40.66, a strike rate of 120.16, and registered the highest of 101. Meg displayed fine form last season, amassing 284 runs at an average of 28.40 and a strike rate of 120.33 from 11 outings. She warmed up for the series registering scores of 14, 13, 92*, and 12 in a T20 competition and can be banked upon to capitalize on this form.
Annabel Sutherland
The 23-year-old all-rounder in the WBBL, from 74 batting innings, has posted 1187 runs at a strike rate of 104.67, while also claiming 82 wickets from as many bowling outings at an economy rate of 7.16. Annabel was the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker last season in the WBBL, posting 288 runs at 118.03 and taking 23 wickets at 7.13. She has displayed strong form lately and can be relied upon to produce the goods.
Pitch:
The Western Australia Cricket Ground offers a good batting deck with an average score in the 150s. However, the wicket poses a challenge for batters throughout the game due to its lively nature, especially against pacers, while spinners also stay in the game.
Weather:
The conditions in Perth are expected to be pleasant for cricket, with bright, clear skies overhead. The temperature will hover in the low 20s (°C), with moderate winds and 43% humidity.
Fantasy playing XI:
Beth Mooney, Amy Jones, Meg Lanning, Chloe Piparo, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Alana King, Sophie Day, Chloe Ainsworth
Match details:
Date – October 27, 2024
Time – 3:00 PM IST
Venue – Western Australia Cricket Ground, Perth
Broadcast – The game will be telecast by the Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.
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