Adelaide Strikers’ dependable batting all-rounder Madeline Penna reached a significant career milestone completing 1,000 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) runs for the franchise during their nail-biting one-run defeat against Perth Scorchers at the W.A.C.A, Perth on November 22, 2025.
The 25-year-old achieved the feat in her composed innings of 36 off 27 deliveries, which included 7 boundaries, while chasing a total of 160 set by Sophie Devine’s side. Despite Penna’s valiant effort, the Strikers were bundled out for 158 with a ball remaining, extending their challenging campaign in the ongoing season.
Under skipper Tahlia McGrath, Adelaide Strikers currently find themselves in seventh position on the points table with 3 points from 5 games. Their solitary victory so far came against Melbourne Renegades, while a rain-affected fixture against Melbourne Stars earned them one point. The side has suffered three losses, with the latest being the slender defeat in Perth that summed up the fine margins defining their campaign this year.
Madeline Penna’s rise in the WBBL has been marked by perseverance and steady progression. Making her league debut on 26th October 2019 for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Sixers at Sydney, she had a modest start, scoring only three runs in five innings across ten appearances. Her switch to Adelaide Strikers in 2020 proved pivotal to her career trajectory. Since her first appearance for the Strikers on 25th October 2020 against Hobart Hurricanes, Penna has evolved into one of the side’s most reliable middle-order contributors.
Over six seasons with the Strikers, she has piled up 1,021 runs at a strike rate of 115.62 and an average of 30.93 in 58 innings, including six half-centuries across 70 matches. Her best innings came on 16th November 2024 at Adelaide, when she struck an assertive 60 off 40 balls against Hobart Hurricanes, peppered with six boundaries and two sixes, leading the Strikers to a convincing 38-run victory. The performance earned her the Player of the Match award and underscored her growing influence as a dependable performer.
In the ongoing 11th edition of the WBBL, which runs from 9th November to 13th December 2025, Penna has contributed 75 runs at a strike rate of 107.14 and an average of 18.75 from five innings. While her returns this season have been measured, her innings in Perth highlighted the technical control and composure she brings under pressure, vital assets for a side seeking momentum mid-tournament.
Across her WBBL career, spanning 80 matches and 63 innings, Madeline Penna has now accumulated 1,024 runs at a strike rate of 114.66 and an average of 28.44, including six fifties. Her growth from a low-utility player at the Stars to a consistent middle-order stabilizer for the Strikers mirrors Adelaide’s emphasis on developing all-round depth.
As the Strikers aim to climb the ladder in the remaining fixtures of the 2025 season, Penna’s experience and calm presence will be vital. Reaching the 1,000-run mark cements her place among the steady performers of the league, a testament to her resilience, adaptability, and contribution to a side that continues to back its core group under Tahlia McGrath’s leadership.
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