On July 25, Melbourne Renegades announced that pacers Sarah Coyte, Georgia Prestwidge, and Tayla Vlaeminck have extended their contracts with the club. Coyte and Prestwidge have signed on for two more years, while Vlaeminck will stay for another season.
With these signings, the Renegades have solidified their pace attack for the upcoming 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The trio will be joined by talented young quick Milly Illingworth, whose recruitment was announced earlier in the week. Together, these four bowlers offer a mix of line-and-length bowling with raw pace, providing coach Simon Helmot and his staff with a formidable lineup as they aim for their maiden WBBL title.
James Rosengarten, Melbourne Renegades General Manager, expressed enthusiasm for the team’s diverse bowling lineup, highlighting the unique contributions of each bowler. He emphasised the mix of seamers with varied skill sets who can take the new ball, perform at the death, and challenge with their variation or raw pace.
“All four bowlers offer us something different, we’re excited to have a mix of seamers with different skill sets who can take the new ball, come in at the death and trouble bowlers with variation or raw pace,” Rosengarten, said.
He noted Tayla’s hard work in returning to cricket and expressed excitement about her impact on the team. He highlighted that the prospect of Tayla and Milly leading the attack should thrill ‘Gades fans this season. He further mentioned that securing a quality pace attack is a significant advantage heading into the new season.
“Tayla has worked so hard to get back to playing cricket and playing well. We’re excited to see her back in red and have the impact we know she can have on our side,” he said. Rosengarten added, “The prospect of Tayla and Milly steaming in should excite Gades fans this season!” He further stated, “Locking away a quality pace attack is a massive tick ahead of the new season.”
Tayla has featured in 33 WBBL matches, claiming 27 wickets with a best bowling figure of 4/29. She has a history of a series of severe injuries, including a left shoulder injury while playing for Australia A in July 2023, due to which she was ruled out of WBBL last season. She has now recovered from it and remains a crucial part of the team.
Tayla, the 25-year-old expressed her excitement about finally getting to play on the field with her team after a couple of seasons spent running drinks. She mentioned her enthusiasm for playing alongside Prestwidge and Coytey, highlighting her positive experiences with Prestwidge in the state squad and for Victoria. Tayla also shared her admiration for Coytey, calling her the ultimate competitor and expressing her eagerness to play with her in Red.
“I’ve loved being around this group so it will be nice to actually get out in the field with the girls and play after a couple of seasons running the drinks,” she said. Tayla further mentioned, “To play with Preto and Coytey, I’m super excited. I’ve loved having Presto around the state squad, I was lucky enough to play a couple of games with her now for Victoria so it will be great to play alongside her in Red. I haven’t played with Coytey before. She’s the ultimate competitor and we love that.”
Coyte, 33, and Prestwidge, 26, are both experienced campaigners in the WBBL. At the Renegades, they have combined for 38 wickets, each boasting best figures of 3/22.
Coyte expressed her excitement about re-signing for another WBBL season with the Melbourne Renegades, saying that the team has felt like home since her first season. She noted the dedication Tayla has shown in her rehab over the past two seasons and expressed her anticipation, along with the rest of Australia, for Tayla’s return to bowling at full pace.
Quoting Coyte, “The Gades have felt like home since my first season so to be able to re-sign for another WBBL season in Red is really exciting for me.” She stated, “I’ve obviously been around the last two seasons and seen Tay do rehab religiously so to see her get back to bowling full pace and playing is something I feel like myself and the rest of Australia have been waiting for.”
Prestwidge expressed her appreciation for the welcoming nature of the group since her move, noting that it felt like joining a family right away. She highlighted the beauty of franchise cricket, where players move around and have the opportunity to bowl alongside those who have experienced international cricket. Prestwidge mentioned learning a great deal from Tayla and Coytey, especially from Coytey regarding death bowling, describing her as a “book of absolute wisdom.”
“The group has been so welcoming since I moved down and felt like family straight away,” she said. Further adding, “The beauty of franchise cricket is players move around and you get to bowl alongside players who’ve tasted international cricket. I’ve learned so much from Tay and Coytey, especially Coytey and her death bowling, she’s a book of absolute wisdom.”
Melbourne Renegades’ WBBL|10 Squad (to date):
Sarah Coyte, Josie Dooley, Nicole Faltum, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Prestwidge, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb