Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars will face each other in match number 20 of the ongoing 09 edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The match will take place at Blundstone Arena, Hobart, on the 2nd of November 2023, at 1:40 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Hobart Hurricanes, following back-to-back defeats, bounced back with successive wins and are riding on the momentum. They will now aim for a hat-trick of wins against the Stars, who recorded a victory in their most recent game following a string of three defeats.
Squads:
Hobart Hurricanes – Nicola Carey, Julia Cavanough, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Shabnim Ismail, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Emma Manix-Geeves, Tabatha Saville, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Bryony Smith, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani (C), Naomi Stalenberg
Melbourne Stars – Sophia Dunkley, Meg Lanning (C), Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Olivia Henry, Milly Illingworth, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Jasmine Nevins, Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland
Players to watch out:
Lizelle Lee
The 31-year-old batter, in 82 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), has amassed 1896 runs, including a highest score of 101. In her 69 WBBL outings, she has notched up 1774 runs at a strike rate of 125.28. Following a lean patch and backed by some luck in her most recent outing, Lee raced to 91 and will be trusted to capitalize on this return to form.
Nicola Carey
The 30-year-old in WBBL, in 111 bowling innings, has scalped 114 wickets, and in 92 batting outings, has accumulated 1260 runs. Carey missed the first three games of the Hurricanes due to an injury; however, upon her return, made an immediate impact. Nicola finished with decent figures of 1/32 (4) and will be backed to improve her bowling economy rate.
Sophie Reid
The 26-year-old keeper-batter, in 10 WBBL outings, has managed 102 runs with a highest score of 25. Reid is a very promising batter but has been struggling with the bat for a while now. However, in the WBBL, after being benched for 4 games, as an answer to the Stars’ batting woes, Sophie returned to the side and scored a fine 25. She should look to build on this performance.
Annabel Sutherland
The 22-year-old all-rounder has bagged 68 wickets from 73 bowling innings and scored 997 runs from 65 batting outings in the WBBL. Annabel has been brilliant for the Stars thus far, especially with the ball, having claimed 9 wickets in 5 games this season. She also returned to form with a 27-ball 49 in her most recent game and the Stars will rely on her to maintain this momentum.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at Blundstone Arena, Hobart, is relatively even with an average score in the 130s. While conditions are conducive for batting, the wicket also offers assistance to both pacers and spinners due to seam and spin conditions.
Weather:
The conditions are ideal for cricket at Blundstone Arena, Hobart, with a clear overhead and a minimal chance of rain. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 12°C with moderate winds and a humidity level of 63%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Lizelle Lee, Meg Lanning, Sophia Dunkley, Elyse Villani, Maia Bouchier, Annabel Sutherland, Alice Capsey, Kim Garth, Molly Strano, Sophie Day, Milly Illingworth
Match details:
Date – November 2, 2023
Time – 1:40 PM IST
Venue – Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
