As the deadline approaches for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) trading window, set to activate for 10 days following this season final on December 2, clubs are making efforts to re-sign players whose contracts expire at the end of this season to avoid potential trade approaches. In line with this, the Melbourne Stars have secured the signatures of two promising youngsters for another two years.
The club revealed the re-signing of 26-year-old left-arm off-spinner Sophie Day, who won the Golden Arm award last season as the leading wicket-taker and 20-year-old former Under-19 Australian captain Rhys McKenna. Stars General Manager Blair Crouch praised the emerging duo, stating, “Rhys has taken her game to a new level and Sophie’s consistency has become a huge strength for her over the past two years.”
Sophie Day, who made her WBBL with the Stars in 2020/21, had her breakthrough last year, taking an impressive 27 wickets from 14 outings at an average of 12.48 and an economy rate of 6.87. Her standout performance included career-best figures of 5/25. With 11, 4, and 11 wickets in her first three seasons, Day had shown glimpses of her potential, and her breakout season justified the faith placed in her.
However, expectations were high for Day to replicate her success this season, but she managed only eight wickets from nine outings but maintained an economical bowling rate of 6.61. Recognized for her proven abilities, Day has been re-signed, with the Stars banking on her regaining consistency in the shortest format.
Expressing her commitment and determination to push for better results, Day commented, “I feel like this group has a lot of unfinished business and hopefully we can keep the same core group of players who have come through together. I’m thrilled to commit for the next two seasons, and we will be putting everything into WBBL|11.”
Rhys McKenna made her WBBL debut with the Stars in the 2021/22 season, scoring 10 runs in three innings and claiming three wickets from seven outings. While she struggled for impact in subsequent seasons, McKenna enjoyed a breakthrough tournament this year despite the Stars’ disappointing campaign which saw them finish at the bottom of the table this season.
This season, McKenna accumulated 138 runs from eight outings at an average of 19.71 and an impressive strike rate of 181.57. She registered her maiden WBBL fifty early in the season with a rapid 22-ball 52 against the Sydney Sixers and followed it up with notable contributions of 34, 20, and 15 later in the competition. Although she did not bowl this season, her 3/18 from last year highlights her potential as an all-rounder.
Eager to contribute to the Stars’ turnaround, McKenna expressed her optimism with the re-signing, sharing, “Obviously the season hasn’t turned out like we wanted it to, but I’ve still got a lot of faith in this group. We’ve got a lot of talented cricketers, and we really feel like we can achieve something in the next couple of years.”
(Quotes sourced from Melbourne Stars media release)
