Match 18: Melbourne Stars Women vs Sydney Sixers Women | Squads | Players to Watch | Fantasy Playing XI | Live Streaming

Match no. 18 of the 2024 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will see Melbourne Stars take on Sydney Sixers at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, on the 8th of November 2024, at 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). The Stars, coming off back-to-back wins, will aim to maintain their winning momentum, while the Sixers will look to build on their recent win after suffering consecutive losses.

Squads:

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

Sydney Sixers Women

Ellyse Perry, Hollie Armitage, Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophie Ecclestone, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Melie Kerr, Isabella Malgioglio, Kate Pelle, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Sarah Bryce

Players to watch out:

Yastika Bhatia

The 24-year-old keeper-batter, from 14 T20Is, has accumulated 214 runs, and she has also proved her mettle in the Women’s Premier League, accumulating 418 runs from 18 T20 outings, striking at 116.43. Yastika, on her WBBL debut, scored 36 runs, leaving a strong impression straightaway, and followed up with her maiden fifty (57) and can be banked upon to extend this run of form, leading the scoring for her side.

Sophie Day

The 26-year-old left-arm spinner, from 51 WBBL outings, has scalped 58 wickets at an economy rate of 6.85 and recorded the best of 5/25. Sophie was a standout last season, scalping 27 wickets from 14 appearances, averaging 12.48. She has picked up this season where she left off, producing bowling figures of 3/21, 1/10, and 1/7. She can be relied upon for breakthroughs and handy runs lower down the batting order.

Hollie Armitage

The 27-year-old all-rounder, from 9 WBBL appearances, has posted 133 runs at a strike rate of 114.65 and hasn’t had a bowl yet. Hollie has been successful in domestic competition in her home country, England, but is yet to translate that into the WBBL. However, this season, she has registered scores of 30, 5, 14, and 30 and should be backed to convert these starts into substantial scores, scoring big runs.

Caoimhe Bray

The 15-year-old pacer made her WBBL debut this season, returning bowling figures of 1/15, picking the prized wicket of Deandra Dottin, and hitting the winning runs in her 5-ball 12*. Caoimhe, a standout in grade cricket, impressed in subsequent outings, returning figures of 0/21, 1/33, and 2/13, and can be counted on for the goods. She is a promising talent, and her progress in this debut season will be worth tracking.

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 that there’s assistance for bowlers, both spinners and pacers, to exploit.

Weather:

The temperature is forecast to be around 17°C, with 47% humidity and moderate winds. Expect a delayed start to proceedings in Melbourne, with rain on the radar at the start time, but a complete game as the skies clear.

Fantasy playing XI:

Yastika Bhatia, Sarah Bryce, Meg Lanning, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Melie Kerr, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Day