Following the signings of Ni Made Putri Suwandewi, a 26-year-old pacer from Indonesia, and Kathryn Bryce, a 26-year-old all-rounder from Scotland, two more associate rookie players are set to be involved in the landmark 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
Players selected in the WBBL rookie program will train with their contracted WBBL clubs and may have the chance to make their debut if a contracted player is unavailable due to injury. The recent rookie signings include Scotland’s Sarah Bryce, joining the Sydney Sixers, and Tara Norris from the United States, who has been roped in by the Melbourne Renegades.
Sarah Bryce, 24, is a keeper-batter and the leading run-scorer for Scotland in Women’s Twenty20 Internationals (WT20Is), with 1,290 runs from 58 matches at an average of 28.66, a strike rate of 106.52, and registered the highest score of 67. She most recently represented Scotland in their inaugural T20 World Cup campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this month, where she made notable contributions with scores of 49* against Bangladesh and 27 against England.
Sarah is no stranger to the WBBL, having previously participated as an associate rookie with the Hobart Hurricanes during the 2017-18 season. She has become a regular in England’s domestic competitions, including the 100-ball tournament, The Hundred. While her inaugural season with the Oval Invincibles was subdued, she has since made her mark with the Welsh Fire. Over 22 matches in The Hundred, she has amassed 385 runs, averaging 29.61 with a strike rate of 108.75.
To be coached by Charlotte Edwards and to rub shoulders with greats of the game at the Sixers—Sophie Ecclestone, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Amelia Kerr, and Ellyse Perry—is an extraordinary opportunity for Sarah as she aims to take the next leap in her budding cricketing career.
Meanwhile, Tara Norris, 26, has made an impact in her young international career, claiming 4 wickets from 5 WT20Is, averaging 7.75 and maintaining an impressive economy rate of 1.72, while also being more than handy with the bat. Tara gained recognition while playing in England’s domestic competitions and the FairBreak Invitational.
Tara Norris has featured for Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League, where she took 7 wickets in 5 matches. In her first outing, she produced a remarkable five-wicket haul, returning figures of 5/29 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, but did not return for the second season. Similarly, in The Hundred 2024, while didn’t find much success, she was among the wickets.
At the Renegades, Tara will be sharing the dressing room with West Indies cricket legends Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews, Australia’s duo of Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, as well as England’s Alice Capsey, among other established and emerging talents.
List of associate rookies for WBBL 10 (so far):
Ni Made Putri Suwandewi – Perth Scorchers
Kathryn Bryce – Hobart Hurricanes
Sarah Bryce – Sydney Sixers
Tara Norris – Melbourne Renegades
The landmark 10th edition of the WBBL gets underway on the 27th of October 2024, with three matches scheduled for the opening day. Defending champions Adelaide Strikers are aiming for an unprecedented three-peat in the Big Bash and will open their campaign against Brisbane Heat in the curtain-raiser at the Adelaide Oval at 1:10 PM local time.
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