Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars will go head-to-head in the season opener of the 09 edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (W-BBL). The match will take place at North Sydney Oval, Sydney, on the 19th of October, 2023, at 2:10 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Sydney Sixers – Jade Allen, Suzie Bates, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Ash Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Emma Hughes, Jess Kerr, Kate Pelle, Kate Peterson, Ellyse Perry (C), Linsey Smith, Gabby Sutcliffe, Chloe Tryon
Melbourne Stars – Meg Lanning (C), Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Sophie Day, Sophia Dunkley, Nicole Faltum, Kim Garth, Olivia Henry, Milly Illingworth, Rhys McKenna, Jas Nevins, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland
Players to watch out for:
Suzie Bates
The 36-year-old all-rounder in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) has piled on 4021 runs, including the highest of 124* from 146 outings, while also bagging 56 wickets from 85 bowling innings. Suzie, in the recently concluded series against South Africa, after a string of low scores, managed a 45 and will be expected to capitalize on the start she’s had.
Chloe Tryon
The 29-year-old all-rounder in T20Is has amassed 1067 runs from 72 innings and taken 31 wickets from 58 outings. Chloe has been in scintillating form of late, contributing with invaluable cameos while also producing economical figures and taking wickets. In the recent T20I series against New Zealand, Chloe produced career-best figures of 4/15 and is high on confidence ahead of the W-BBL.
Meg Lanning
The 31-year-old batter, with an average of 36.61 in 121 T20Is, has racked up 3405 runs, including the highest of 133*. Late last month, Meg returned to competitive cricket for the first time since the Women’s Premier League Final in March and notched up scores of 51, 35, 51, and 73* in 4 Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) matches. The wait now is for her to carry this momentum into the W-BBL.
Kim Garth
The 27-year-old pace all-rounder, in 47 T20I outings, has accumulated 764 runs and taken 45 wickets. In the lead-up to the series, Garth, in her most recent T20I outing, produced figures of 2/24 (4) and followed up with 6 One-Day International (ODI) wickets from 3 games. She’s riding high on confidence and will be incredible to watch.
Pitch:
The surface at the North Sydney Oval is favorable for batting, resulting in a healthy average score of around 150 runs. As the match progresses, pacers can expect some assistance in the latter half, while spinners can make significant contributions during the middle overs.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day to be at the cricket at the North Sydney Oval, with no expected rain interruptions and clear skies. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 19°C, with moderate winds and a humidity level of 57%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Sophia Dunkley, Chloe Tryon, Suzie Bates, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Alice Capsey, Kim Garth, Sasha Moloney
Match details:
Date – October 19, 2023
Time – 2:10 PM IST
Venue – North Sydney Oval, Sydney
Broadcast – All games of the tournament will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.