Hobart Hurricanes have secured the backbone of their maiden Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) championship side, re-signing six key players, Molly Strano, Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman and Lizelle Lee, for WBBL 12 and WBBL 13, ensuring continuity as they prepare to defend their title when the 12th edition kicks off on 29 October against Melbourne Stars.
The announcement arrives amid the ongoing fourth edition of the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, where women’s cricket is once again showcasing the sport’s global growth. For Hobart, though, the immediate focus is domestic dominance: building on a breakthrough 2025 campaign that saw them finish atop the table with 15 points from 10 games (seven wins, two losses, one washout) before overcoming Perth Scorchers by eight wickets in the final at Hobart.
At the heart of that success was experience at both ends of the innings. Lizelle Lee, 34, has long been one of the WBBL’s most explosive openers, amassing 2,770 runs at a strike rate of 133.55 and an average of 30.10 across 104 matches, including 14 half-centuries and five centuries. Last season alone, she finished as Hobart’s second-highest scorer with 305 runs at 38.1 and a competition-best strike rate of 154.8, numbers that underline why her retention was non-negotiable.
Equally vital is Molly Strano, the 33-year-old off-spinner whose 172 wickets at 19.27 and an economy of 6.71 over 150 matches make her one of the tournament’s most reliable bowlers. With three four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls to her name, Strano’s control in the middle overs has been a Hurricanes staple. She’s also chipped in with 561 runs at a strike rate of 102.37, adding depth to the lower order.
Nicola Carey, another 33-year-old mainstay, brings rare balance as an all-rounder. Across 147 WBBL matches, she’s taken 147 wickets at 23.25 (economy 7.23) and scored 1,847 runs at 104.46, including six half-centuries. “Very easy decision, I’ve been here a few years now, absolutely loved my time and off the back of last year, it would be hard to not return,” Carey said. “It is such a good organisation to be a part of. I’ve been here for over half my WBBL career, and I have loved it.”
Heather Graham, 29, complements that duo with her own all-round prowess: 1,594 runs at 103.37 and 157 wickets at 21.43 (economy 7.21) across 149 matches. She was Hobart’s leading wicket-taker last season with 16 at 18.4, proving her value in tight phases. Meanwhile, emerging talents Hayley Silver-Holmes and Rachel Trenaman represent the next wave. Silver-Holmes, 23, has 23 wickets at 30.17 (economy 8.22) and 116 runs in 16 innings, while Trenaman, 25, has contributed 440 runs at 95.03 and four wickets across 45 matches.
Head Coach Jude Coleman emphasised that retaining this group was always the priority. “We’re really happy to keep the core group of local players together; it was our goal straight away last year when they were off contract to stay,” Coleman said. “It really is a testament to the organisation and a lot of the girls, if you spoke to them, would talk about how much they love this organisation and how much they love playing for the Hurricanes. It’s a massive win; they definitely were in demand, but they also just love playing together.”
With captain Elyse Villani signing off from the tournament after guiding her side to a historic maiden title in the history of the league, the Hobart Hurricanes immediate task would be to name a leader who can succeed the former Australian at the helm and carry the legacy of the franchise forward in the coming years.
The squad is shaping up nicely on the back of a stable core through 2028; Hobart enters WBBL 12 not just as champions, but as a side built for sustained contention. Their title defence begins on 29 October against Melbourne Stars, a fixture that will test whether continuity can translate into back-to-back crowns.
(Quotes sourced from Hobart Hurricanes Press Release)
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