For match no. 23 of the ongoing 09 edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder are set to lock horns at Casey Fields, Melbourne, on the 4th of November, 2023, at 9:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
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
Sydney Thunder – Marizanne Kapp, Heather Knight (C), Lauren Bell, Samantha Bates, Paris Bowdler, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson, Chamari Athapaththu
Players to watch out:
Alice Capsey
The 19-year-old averages 23.55 in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and 24.06 in the WBBL. Alice has scored 385 runs for the Stars in 18 outings and also taken 15 wickets in 20 innings. Capsey has had a quiet start this edition but registered scores of 25, 52, and 31 in recent matches. In three consecutive games, she bagged 2 wickets each. She’ll be trusted to carry forward this momentum as the race to the knockouts intensifies.
Sasha Moloney
The 31-year-old off-spinner has scalped 41 wickets from 47 WBBL outings, bowling at an economy rate of 7.01, and has registered the best of 4/15, while also adding 522 runs to the tally. Sasha initially struggled to find the right line and length but has now improved. After five wicketless outings, she bagged her first wicket of the season in her most recent game and has finished with figures of 0/30 (4) and 1/26 (4) in her last couple of matches.
Tahlia Wilson
The 24-year-old keeper-batter in 35 WBBL outings has accumulated 535 runs and managed the best of 53. Tahlia is a very promising batter, and this edition has again shown glimpses of her talent. She has consistently managed good starts in almost all of her outings, registering scores of 33, 28, 14, and 30. Now, she’ll need to focus on converting these starts into significant scores.
Marizanne Kapp
The 33-year-old all-rounder averages 19.41 with the bat in T20Is and 20.40 with the ball. In the WBBL, Kapp has racked up 1193 runs, averaging 21.30, and is the 5th highest wicket-taker with 118 scalps to her name off 111 innings. In this edition, Kapp has continued to be effective with the ball, producing figures of 1/26 (4), 1/31 (4), and 2/23 (4). However, she hasn’t made the most of both her batting outings, departing for 18 and 11.
Pitch:
The center wicket at Casey Fields, Melbourne, favors pacers, who can exploit the pitch’s assistance effectively. Batters must adjust to the conditions, exercise smart shot selection, and target a total of around 140s, which could be a match-winning score.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day to be at the Casey Fields, Melbourne, for some cricket with no rain interruptions and partly cloudy skies. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 19°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 81%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Tahlia Wilson, Meg Lanning, Heather Knight, Phoebe Litchfield, Chamari Athapaththu, Maia Bouchier, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Alice Capsey, Kim Garth, Sophie Day
Match details:
Date – November 4, 2023
Time – 9:30 AM IST
Venue – Casey Fields, Melbourne
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.