On 5th December 2025, the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) commemorates a landmark 10th anniversary since its inception in 2015. In a decade, the WBBL has risen from a bold domestic franchise experiment into one of the world’s premier T20 leagues for women’s cricket.
Marking this milestone during the ongoing 11th edition, the WBBL showcased a thrilling doubleheader day on home soil in Australia, a testament to the league’s explosive growth, deep talent pool, and passionate fanbase. From the inaugural classic between the Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat to the current high-stakes contests involving star-packed lineups and emerging stars, the WBBL has defined the modern era of women’s cricket.
The Inaugural Edition: Seeds of a Revolution
The first-ever WBBL game took place on 5th December 2015 at Melbourne’s Junction Oval, featuring the Melbourne Stars, led by Meg Lanning, against Delissa Kimmince’s Brisbane Heat. Lanning’s commanding 90 runs off 58 balls, highlighted by 12 fours and 2 sixes, led the Stars to post a competitive total of 156/7. The Stars ultimately triumphed by 20 runs in a memorable opening fixture, setting the tone for an electrifying league. Lanning finished the tournament as the top run-scorer with 560 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 113.82, underlining her status as a pioneering force in Australian women’s cricket.
The bowling department crown belonged to Sydney Thunder’s Rene Farrell, who claimed 26 wickets at an average of 12.96 with a stellar economy of 5.50. The Sydney Thunder, captained by Alex Blackwell, topped the league table with 18 points from 14 games, signalling their consistency in the inaugural season.
The grand finale, staged at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24th January 2016, pitched the Sydney Sixers against the Sydney Thunder. After posting 115/7 batting first, the Sixers fell short as the Thunder chased the target with three wickets to spare, clinching the first-ever WBBL championship title. The grand finale, staged at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24th January 2016, pitched the Sydney Sixers against the Sydney Thunder. After posting 115/7 batting first, the Sixers fell short as the Thunder chased the target with three wickets to spare, clinching the first-ever WBBL championship.
Erin Osborne shone with the ball, earning Player of the Match honours, while Lanning’s overall excellence was recognised with the Player of the Tournament award. The inaugural season’s format comprised 14 league games per team, a schedule streamlined to 10 games per side starting with the 2024 season to accommodate the new T20 Spring Challenge.
The 11th Edition: A Tense Finish to a Season of New Bloomers Unfolding
A decade later, in 2025, the WBBL’s evolution is evident on multiple fronts. The 11th edition from 9th November to 13th November is approaching the business end, with a condensed 10-game league stage, and the current day, 5th December 2025, featured a gripping doubleheader. At Melbourne’s Junction Oval, the 36th match saw the Melbourne Renegades, captained by Sophie Molineux, edge past Ashleigh Gardner’s Sydney Sixers by six wickets. This victory lifted the Renegades to fourth place on the points table, with a balanced 5-5 record from 10 matches, fighting hard for a knockout spot.
Meanwhile, in Adelaide, the weather intervened at the Karen Rolton Oval as the game between the Adelaide Strikers, led by skipper Tahlia McGrath and Hobart Hurricanes, led by skipper Elyse Villani, was washed out after the Strikers posted 167/4 in their 20 overs. The two sides shared the points, with the Hurricanes maintaining pole position on the leaderboard with 15 points from 10 games, securing a direct berth in the grand final for the first time in their history. The Strikers held sixth place with 9 points from 9 games.
Franchise Spotlights:
Sydney Sixers:
Under Ashleigh Gardner’s leadership, the Sixers sit third with 11 points from 9 games, balancing five wins with three losses and a washout. Gardner’s tactical acumen and powerful batting keep them firmly in contention for a top-four finish as the knockout picture tightens. Over the years, they’ve claimed back-to-back titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18, defeating Perth Scorchers in both finals.
Sydney Thudner:
Despite winning the first (2015-16) and 2020-21 titles, Phoebe Litchfield’s Thunder struggle in 7th place with 7 points from 9 games, having won only three matches. The upcoming final league fixture against the Melbourne Stars, led by skipper Annabel Sutherland, on 6th December 2025 (Saturday), at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, from 5:30 AM IST, is crucial for them to finish their campaign on a high in the ongoing edition of the tournament, where they struggled for consistency.
Melbourne Stars:
Reigning as the second-placed team, captained by Annabel Sutherland, the Stars have an impressive 5 (wins)-3 (defeats) -1 (washed-out) record with a game in hand in the league stage, against Phoebe Litchfield’s Sydney Thunder on 6th December in the first game of the double-header Saturday. Former skipper Meg Lanning remains a formidable force with 417 runs in 9 innings, featuring three half-centuries and a century at an outstanding strike rate of 143.79. They are yet to win a WBBL title. However, considering their form and the way they’ve played this season, they are one of the strong contenders for their maiden WBBL title.
Melbourne Renegades:
Sophie Molineux’s side holds fourth place with a 5-5 win-loss record. Coming off their maiden WBBL title win, defeating the Jess Jonassen-led Brisbane Heat (Hayley Matthews Player of the Match), in the final in 2024, the Renegades have enjoyed a competitive run. Their strong spinner Georgia Wareham leads the tournament’s wicket tally with 19 wickets at an average of 10.94, vital to their campaign ahead of the crunch final matches, provided if they progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. A Perth Scorchers win on 6th December ends their knockout hopes.
Adelaide Strikers:
Back-to-back champions WBBL 08 beating Sydney Sixers, (Deandra Dottin Player of the Match), and 09, beating Brisbane Heat, (Amanda-Jade Wellington Player of the Match in 2023-24). In the ongoing 11th season, the Strikers are in sixth spot with 9 points but are weathering a season disrupted by three washed-out games. Led by all-rounder Tahlia McGrath, they continue to battle for positioning.
Hobart Hurricanes:
The surprise powerhouse of the season, Elyse Villani’s Hurricanes, topped the league for the first time in their history with 15 points, posting 7 wins and securing a historic direct grand final entry. The side boasts the highest individual score record in the league’s history: Lizelle Lee’s breathtaking unbeaten 150 off 75 balls in the previous season underlines their batting firepower. Her knock included 12 boundaries and 12 maximums. Much like the Annabel Sutherland-led Melbourne Stars, the Hurricanes are also in search of their maiden WBBL title.
Perth Scorchers:
Winners of their maiden title in 2021-22, the Scorchers, captained by Sophie Devine, sit 5th with 10 points from 9 games. Their maiden title came by defeating the Adelaide Strikers (Marizanne Kapp, Player of the Match). With a vital encounter against the Brisbane Heat upcoming, a Scorchers win would secure their spot in the knockout stages of the tournament in the ongoing edition. They are one of the most consistent sides in the overall history of the tournament.
Brisbane Heat:
Once back-to-back champions (2018-19, 2019-20) led by Jess Jonassen (currently sidelined by shoulder surgery), the Heat are on the verge of facing an embarrassing first in WBBL history, finishing winless in the league, with only a single point (from a washout) after 9 games. Stand-in skipper Charli Knott leads a side desperately seeking form. The time they secured back-to-back crowns in 2018-19 (beat Sydney Sixers) and 2019-20 (beat Adelaide Strikers), Beth Mooney Player of the Match both times.
All-Time Records and Legends.
Beth Mooney, representing the Perth Scorchers, is the WBBL’s all-time leading run-scorer with 5,352 runs in 151 matches at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 125.48. The only woman to surpass 5,000 WBBL runs, Mooney’s consistency sets the benchmark. Her tally includes 45 half-centuries and 4 centuries, the joint 2nd most tons alongside the skipper of the Perth Scorchers, Sophie Devine (4).
On the bowling front, Jess Jonassen remains the most prolific wicket-taker with 184 scalps at 19.56 apiece over 153 matches, including 7 four-wicket hauls. Her absence towards the back-end of a nightmarish campaign his season is a significant blow to Brisbane as they search for their first win of the ongoing edition in their final league game.
Among remarkable team records, the Sydney Sixers hold the highest-ever total in WBBL history: a mammoth 242/4 against the Melbourne Stars in 2017, featuring Ashleigh Gardner’s explosive 114 from 52 balls and Ellyse Perry’s 91* from 49 balls. Contrastingly, the Stars’ infamous lowest total of 29 against the Adelaide Strikers in 2023 remains a stark reminder of cricket’s unpredictability.
The WBBL Legacy:
From Meg Lanning’s extraordinary innings in the inaugural match to the modern-day spectacle of superstars like Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, and the record-breaking exploits of Lizelle Lee and Beth Mooney, the WBBL epitomises the evolution of women’s cricket over the past decade. It drives a new era of professionalism, fiercely competitive cricket, and expanding global prominence.
The league’s growth, through its 11 seasons on and beyond the field, has inspired countless young women cricketers and stands poised at the forefront of the sport’s ongoing transformation. The intense rivalry, emerging talents, and historical milestones across franchises continue to captivate audiences worldwide, making the WBBL a standard-bearer for women’s T20 cricket globally.
With the concluding league games approaching and knockout dramas brewing, the 11th edition continues to honour the rich heritage and promising future of the WBBL on this special 10th anniversary.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.