Deandra Dottin, the 35-year-old explosive West Indies all-rounder, has re-signed with the Melbourne Renegades for the 12th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL 12), set to run from 29 October to 5 December 2026. Her return bolsters a Renegades side that finished fifth in 2025 with 10 points from 10 games, five wins and five losses, under captain Sophie Molineux, and sets up a formidable all-round core alongside West Indies teammate Hayley Matthews.
Dottin first arrived in the WBBL on 26 December 2015, debuting for the Perth Scorchers against the Melbourne Stars. She then moved to the Brisbane Heat for the 2016 edition, joined the Adelaide Strikers in WBBL 08 (2022), and linked with the Renegades in 2024 for WBBL 10. Across 66 matches and 60 innings, she has scored 1,018 runs at a strike rate of 111.37 and an average of 19.96, including five half-centuries. With the ball, she has taken 47 wickets in 66 matches and 64 innings at an average of 29.06 and an economy of 7.34.
That blend of power and versatility is exactly what the Renegades want as they aim to climb from fifth. Dottin can open or bat in the middle order, and her pace bowling adds depth to a unit that will also lean heavily on spin.
Dottin will once again link up with West Indies teammate Hayley Matthews at the Renegades in WBBL 12, as the club finalises replacements for departed import Alice Capsey. Matthews’ return was confirmed earlier this month after she missed WBBL 11 due to shoulder surgery, and her off-spin will combine with Sophie Molineux’s left-arm spin and Georgia Wareham’s leg-breaks to form one of the competition’s most imposing spin attacks.
“I’m looking forward to returning to the Renegades and especially playing with Hayley Matthews once again,” Dottin said. “We’ve shared some special memories on the field together, and being back in Melbourne, where we won a title together, brings back plenty of great memories. I’m excited for the season ahead.”
Dottin was part of the Renegades’ title-winning squad in 2024, and her experience in high-pressure games, both with the bat and ball, gives Molineux multiple options when constructing innings and managing match-ups.
The Renegades’ contracted list for WBBL 12 underlines their all-round strength: Dottin and Matthews (West Indies), plus Australians Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham and Courtney Webb. Alice Capsey has moved to the Sydney Sixers, while Charis Bekker is also out; several players, including Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Sara Kennedy, Naomi Stalenberg, Tayla Vlaeminck, Davina Perrin (England) and Issy Wong (England), remain uncontracted.
With Alice Capsey gone, the Renegades’ middle order and finishing roles become even more significant. Dottin’s ability to accelerate in the last five overs, or to stabilise if early wickets fall, gives the side balance, while her overs with the new ball or in the middle phase can relieve pressure on the spin trio.
For the Renegades, re-signing Dottin is about more than adding a marquee name; it is about reinforcing a culture of power-hitting, smart bowling changes, and big-game know-how. For WBBL 12, her presence, alongside Matthews, Molineux and Wareham, promises a Renegades line-up built around match-winning all-rounders, capable of dictating tempo in both innings as they chase a top-four finish.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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