Match no. 4 of the ongoing 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will see the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder kick off their campaigns at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart. The game is scheduled for 12:40 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 28th of October 2024.
Squads:
Hobart Hurricanes women’s cricket team
Nicola Carey, Zoe Cooke, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Chloe Tryon, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kathryn Bryce, Suzie Bates
Sydney Thunder women’s cricket team
Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Adams, Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson
Players to watch out:
Nicola Carey
The 31-year-old all-rounder in the WBBL, from 120 outings, has scalped 125 wickets, including the best of 4/12, while also tallying 1,433 runs from 101 innings, including the highest of 60*. Last season, Nicola scalped 12 wickets from 10 outings at an economy rate of 7.84, while also tallying 173 runs from 9 innings, averaging 28.83. She has displayed good form leading up to the WBBL and can be counted on for all-round efforts.
Molly Strano
The 32-year-old off-spinner from 125 WBBL outings has bagged 150 wickets, including the best of 5/15, maintaining an economy rate of 6.62, while also contributing 545 runs from 61 innings. Molly took 13 wickets from as many innings last season at an economy rate of 7.14; however, she looked near her best in a recent T20 competition, claiming 8 wickets from 6 games. She can be relied upon to produce breakthroughs.
Phoebe Litchfield
The 21-year-old opening batter from 63 WBBL outings has accumulated 1,212 runs at an average of 24.24 and a strike rate of 111.91, recording five fifties with the highest score of 68. Phoebe was a standout last season, accumulating 309 runs at a strike rate of 130.37 from 14 outings. She wasn’t required much with the bat in her recent outings but has looked good for her runs and can be banked upon to lead the scoring.
Shabnim Ismail
The 36-year-old pacer from 55 WBBL outings has claimed 51 wickets at an economy rate of 6.06, producing the best of 3/10. Last season, Shabnim claimed 13 wickets from as many innings at an economy rate of 6.22. Notably, she has been in outstanding form of late, claiming 9 wickets from 4 innings in a recent T20 campaign, and hopefully, she will carry the momentum into this WBBL season, spearheading the bowling attack.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at Bellerive Oval provide a somewhat neutral playing field, but the conditions are slightly advantageous to batters over bowlers. Spinners, in particular, benefit from the conditions, and a score in the 150s can be deemed competitive on this wicket.
Weather:
The conditions in Hobart are forecasted to be pleasant for cricket, with no anticipated rain despite cloudy skies. The temperature will be around 12°C, with moderate winds and humidity at 52%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Lizelle Lee, Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Phoebe Litchfield, Elyse Villani, Chamari Athapaththu, Heather Graham, Georgia Voll, Nicola Carey, Shabnim Ismail, Molly Strano
Match details:
Date – October 28, 2024
Time – 12:40 PM IST
Venue – Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Broadcast – The game will be telecast by the Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.
Loves all things female cricket