Melbourne Renegades is one of the eight teams that will feature in the seventh edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The WBBL starts from October 14. Melbourne Renegades have a strong squad of 15, out of which three are overseas players, including one player from England (Evelyn Jones) and two players from India (Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues).
Squad: Sophie Molineux (captain), Georgia Wareham, Evelyn Jones, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Makinley Blows, Josephine Dooley, Jess Duffin, Ellie Falconer, Holly Ferling, Poppy Gardner, Ella Hayward, Carly Leeson, Rhiann O’Donnell, Courtney Webb
Squad analysis
Sophie Molineux:
The left arm spinner will lead the side. In the absence of Jess Jonassen, she shouldered the responsibility exceedingly well during the recently concluded India-Australia series. She picked up 11 wickets in the multi-format series. She bowled well with the new ball as well as in the middle overs.
Georgia Wareham:
The right arm leg spinner is a wicket-taking bowler. Her bowling is world-class as she has proved in T20 World Cups. Apart from her bowling, she is more than handy with the bat. She had the sixth-highest strike rate last season (146.31) and found the boundary every five deliveries, ranking her only behind Laura Kimmince and Alyssa Healy, among those with more than 100 runs, and well above Meg Lanning and Sophie Devine.
Evelyn Jones:
The left-hand bat from England is a talented cricketer, who showed her class during the Hundred, in which she played for Birmingham Phoenix. She is an opening bat and is a treat to watch when on song.
Harmanpreet Kaur:
India’s T20I skipper is one of the most experienced players in women’s T20I cricket. She has played 120 T20Is and has scored 2307 runs in 108 innings, including six half-centuries and a century. She also bowls right arm off spin and has accounted for 30 wickets. Apart from these, she is a fantastic fielder.
Jemimah Rodrigues:
After a successful outing in the Hundred and a decent performance in the T20I series against Australia, India’s Jemimah Rodrigues will bolster Renegades’ middle order. She has good cricketing shots in her repertoire and is busy at the crease, running those quick ones and twos. She is an excellent outfielder as well.
Makinley Blows:
She is a right hand bat, who was a part of the Melbourne Stars prior to signing up for Renegades. She plays her domestic cricket for Victoria.
Josephine Dooley:
She is a top order wicket-keeper bat, who represents South Australia at the domestic level. She joined the Renegades for WBBL|05 from the Brisbane Heat. She is regarded as one of the most exciting young players in Australia. She has also spent time with the National Performance Squad. She was impressive in her eight WBBL matches last season, and was a member of the Heat team that beat the Sydney Sixers in the final.
Jess Duffin:
She is a right hand bat and right arm leg spinner. In a career spanning more than a decade, she has established herself as one of the leading batters in Australian cricket. She has featured in 51 WBBL matches and has scored 1293 runs at a strike rate of 113.92. She has also represented Australia in 117 international matches, including 64 T20Is between 2009 and 2015.
Ellie Falconer:
She is a right arm speedster known for her quick bowling ability, hard-working nature and resilience. Falconer was invited to train with the Strikers in 2016-17 as part of the nation-wide Community Rookie program and went on to earn her first WBBL contract with Adelaide for WBBL|03. She plays her domestic cricket for South Australia. Prior to signing up for Renegades, she was a part of Adelaide Strikers, a team with which she made her WBBL debut in season five.
Holly Ferling:
She is a right arm seamer, having represented Australia in 34 international matches, including nine T20Is between 2013 and 2016. She was with Melbourne Stars before. She has featured in 64 WBBL matches and has picked up 43 wickets, including the best of 4-8.
Poppy Gardner:
She is the youngest player in the side. She is a left arm quick, who plays for Dandenong CC, alongside Renegades’ skipper Sophie Molineux, and has rapidly risen through Victorian underage pathway.
Ella Hayward:
She is an off spinning all-rounder who was a part of the Renegades’ squad last season. She had several eye catching performances in her debut season. She had the best bowling figure of 4-16 in WBBL|06.
Carly Leeson:
She is an all-rounder, who is a right hand bat and right arm seamer. She plays her domestic cricket for Australian Capital Territory. Before joining Renegades, she represented Sydney Sixers in two seasons. She also holds a unique record to be the first female to play in the men’s grade cricket competition in Sydney, having represented the Randwick-Petersham Cricket Club.
Rhiann O’Donnell:
She is a right hand bat and right arm seamer. She was a part of Hobart Hurricanes before. She has played six WBBL matches and has picked up two wickets.
Courtney Webb:
She is a right hand bat, who represents Tasmania at the domestic level. She has played 39 WBBL matches and has scored 556 runs in 32 innings at an average of 25.27. She was also a part of the Australian U19 tour of South Africa in 2018.
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.