Western Australia will begin the 2026-27 Women’s National Cricket League season determined to turn last year’s near miss into a serious finals push. Led by Chloe Piparo, WA finished third in the 2025-26 points table with 31 points from 12 matches, recording seven victories and five defeats, and will open their campaign against Tasmania at the WACA Ground next Tuesday (29th September 2026) and Thursday (1st October 2026), with Australian stars Beth Mooney and Alana King available.
WA’s late-season surge last year offered plenty of encouragement. The side won seven consecutive matches before losing its final game, a result that left it needing a bonus point and a significant net-run-rate boost to displace Queensland from second place and secure a spot in the final.
Rather than dwell on the opportunity that slipped away, head coach Becky Grundy believes her team is progressing in the right direction. However, she knows the opening weeks will be crucial, particularly after WA began the previous campaign with two home defeats against Queensland. “A lot of it is going to be about how we start,” Grundy told cricket.com.au. “We had a really clean run and got those seven wins in a row last season, but unfortunately, probably the last two years we haven’t started the season well.”
The presence of Mooney and King should give WA an immediate lift. Both are set to make a rare WNCL appearance before Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Heather Graham and Chloe Ainsworth, the other Cricket Australia-contracted players on the WA list, are also expected to feature in the opening two matches.
WA’s campaign will demand more than consistency, though. With bonus points increasingly influential in a tightly contested competition, Grundy wants her side to be more decisive in key moments and more aggressive when opportunities arise. “For us, it’s about being ruthless in those moments where we can get a bonus point, or we can positively impact our net run rate,” she said. “Last season showed that we just left ourselves a little bit too much to do in that last game.”
The team has strengthened its pace department with the recruitment of Ruby Strange from Queensland. The 23-year-old right-arm quick impressed during her first season with the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL and has now moved to Perth on a full-time basis. Her arrival helps cover the retirement of Piepa Cleary while adding depth and energy to the attack.
“She adds a lot of depth to our team in the pace bowling, and even from a batting perspective and the energy that she brings around the group, she’s been excellent too,” Grundy said.
Chloe Ainsworth is another major reason for optimism. The 21-year-old earned a national contract in April despite being uncapped at international level and has completed a full preseason after injuries disrupted her recent preparation. She has scored a century in the practice matches and is expected to resume her role as a new-ball bowler. “She’s just hungry to take wickets and score runs,” Grundy said. “It’s been really nice to actually see her have a clean run at a preseason.”
Teenage leg-spinner Tegan Williamson is the other prominent addition. The 17-year-old, who captained Australia Under-19s in a tri-series against England and Sri Lanka, has received her first WA contract while balancing training with her final year of school. She will also have one eye on Australia’s Under-19 World Cup campaign in Nepal and Bangladesh next January.
WA conducted its preseason locally, using intra-squad fixtures and matches against men’s teams rather than travelling to the Sunshine Coast. Grundy said the conditions and facilities at the redeveloped WACA had provided a competitive environment, with a largely fit squad making selection particularly demanding.
The availability of Australia’s leading players is likely to fluctuate later in the season, with tours of Sri Lanka, the Women’s Premier League, the T20 Champions Trophy, a series against New Zealand and a multi-format tour of South Africa all scheduled across the summer. That makes the opening fixtures against Tasmania even more important.
With Piparo’s leadership, Mooney’s class, King’s match-winning leg-spin and a deeper pace attack, Western Australia have the tools to make a fast start. This time, however, they will need to finish the job with the same intensity they showed at the back end of last season.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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