Just days away from the 2024 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) Final and the activation of the trading window, which allows rival clubs to approach unsigned players, the Sydney Thunder have been proactive in securing their core talent. Sam Bates and Anika Learoyd have committed to two-season deals, while Hannah Darlington has signed on for another three seasons to remain in lime green.
Sydney Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland expressed his satisfaction with the re-signings, stating, “These three signings add to a formidable group of players who are crucial to our identity and future success. Hopefully, their efforts will propel us to lifting the trophy.”
Sam Bates (28) has been a cornerstone of the Sydney Thunder since the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season and is one of only five players in league history to take over 100 wickets while representing a single club. As the Thunder’s all-time leading wicket-taker, the left-arm spinner has established herself as a key player. Her most consistent phase came between the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons, during which she claimed 57 wickets from 52 games.
After a subdued 2023 season, where she managed just five wickets in 14 outings, Bates roared back into form this season. She has scalped 19 wickets at an impressive average of 12.10 and an economy rate of 6.57, positioning herself as a vital asset for the Thunder as they head into the 2024 WBBL Finals. Across her WBBL career, Bates has bowled in 120 innings, claiming 119 wickets at an average of 22.35, with an economy rate of 6.15 and a career-best of 4/21. Her resurgence will be pivotal to the Thunder’s quest for another title.
The highly promising 22-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder Hannah Darlington has been a key player for the Sydney Thunder since her WBBL debut in the 2019-20 season. Across 67 WBBL bowling innings, she has picked up 91 wickets, including a career-best of 5/10, at an average of 19.19 and an economy rate of 7.24, while also chipping in scoring 235 runs from 42 outings.
Darlington made an immediate impact in her debut season, taking 16 wickets from 13 games, and built on that momentum in subsequent seasons: 19 wickets from 12 innings in 2020-21 and 16 from 13 outings in 2021-22. While she experienced a dip in form in the 2022-23 season with just 7 wickets from as many games, she bounced back impressively last season, claiming a season-best of 22 wickets from 13 innings. She has continued to showcase her wicket-taking prowess, adding 11 wickets from 9 outings this season so far.
On her three-year deal, Copeland commended Darlington’s leadership qualities and described her as a veteran despite her young age. He shared, “Hannah Darlington, despite still being in her early 20s, feels like a veteran of the game with the leadership and composure she brings. She’s been a captain of the club and is absolutely integral to our future. Her energy and availability to connect with fans are everything we want this club to represent.”
Middle-order batter Anika Learoyd (22) made her WBBL debut with the Thunder in 2020-21 but is still in search of a breakout season, having accumulated only 382 runs from 31 outings so far. Last season, she managed 140 runs from 10 innings, and in the ongoing 2024 season, she has scored 105 runs from 10 outings.
Learoyd has posted two notable scores this season, including a 29 to kick off her campaign and an unbeaten 31* in a recent match. She has yet to surpass her WBBL-best of 34, which she achieved in her debut season, and will be eager to deliver a match-winning knock in the upcoming WBBL 2024 knockout games.
(Quotes sourced from Sydney Thunder media release)
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