Women’s Big Bash League 2019 – Know where the 8 teams stand on the points table
It has been nearly 3 weeks since the inception of the 5th edition of Women’s Big Bash League in Australia. The first standalone edition of the tournament kicked off on October 18 this year. After 23 matches between 8 teams, we are midway of the high profile T20 league.
This year’s WBBL matches saw players giving some great performances. Records were broken and made again. While Sydney Sixers’ Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy made a record 199-run partnership, Melbourne Stars’ Lizelle Lee was the first to hit a century. Marizanne Kapp of the Sixers also took a hat-trick. 16-year old Phoebe Litchfield impressed all with her fearless approach in batting. Well, these are just some highlights of what has been a terrific tournament so far. Here have a look at the 8 teams and find out where they stand in the points table –
1st Position: Sydney Thunders
Leading the table is the team of Sydney Thunders. Thunders have won 4 of the 6 matches that they have played, losing only the one against Sydney Sixers, which was the first match of the tournament. In their second match against the defending champions Brisbane Heat, Phoebe Litchfield became the youngest WBBL player to hit a century. At the age of 16, Litchfield along with Alex Blackwell chased down the target of 151 in the 19th over. Thunders had a close victory over Melbourne Renegades where Shabnim Ismail scalped 3 wickets. They also won against Melbourne Stars which was a last-over thriller. Rachel Priest’s 50 took the team to another win against Hobart Hurricanes.
2nd Position: Adelaide Strikers
Adelaide Strikers have won 4 and lost 2 games in the league till date. They lost one and bagged a win against both Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades. It was Sophie Devine’s unbeaten 72 off 45 which had contributed to the smooth chase against Renegades in the first match. They had a close win against Hobart Hurricanes and a comprehensive win over Perth Scorchers when Sarah Coyte’s bowling and Tahlia McGrath’s batting had won the game for them. The Strikers also defeated Brisbane Heat winning the game by 8 wickets when captain Suzie Bates and Bridget Patterson both made unbeaten half-tons to chase the target.
3rd Position: Sydney Sixers
Sydney Sixers have played only 5 games and have won 4 of them. The only match they lost was against Brisbane Heat, which saw the Sixers collapsing in 15 overs on a score of 73. Other than that one game, Sixers have given pretty good performances this season. They got the first win of the tournament against Sydney Thunders which had Ellyse Perry masterclass written all over it. Perry remained not out on 81 to win the inaugural match for her side. They had a close match against Melbourne Renegades which the Sixers won in the last over. They won twice over Melbourne Stars, the first of which saw a Marizane Kapp hat-trick while the latter saw Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry stitching a record-breaking 199-run partnership. Healy also made a century in this match.
4th Position: Brisbane Heat
Next come Brisbane Heat who have won 3 and lost 3. The former champions are having an average run in the league, winning few and losing few games. They won their first match when they beat Sydney Sixers by 92 runs, bowling them out in the process. Young leggie Amelia Kerr was brilliant. She took 3 wickets and gave only 8 runs as she bamboozled the Sixers. They won over Hobart Hurricanes in a thriller match when Beth Mooney scored 44* off 50 balls. Their other win came against Adelaide Strikers when Georgia Prestwidge took 3 wickets and Mooney remained not out on 77(51).
5th Position: Hobart Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have only won 2 games of the 6 that they have played, losing 3. The two wins have come against Melbourne Stars which were the initial games for the Hurricanes. Both Chloe Tryon and Erin Fazackerley had made 46 runs while Belinda Vakarewa and Maisy Gibson had obtained 3-wicket hauls. Nicola Carey had shined with both bat and ball (60* off 46 and 2/27) in the second match.
6th Position: Melbourne Renegades
Melbourne Renegades also managed to get 2 wins losing 4 in the league. They won against Adelaide Strikers as English players Danni Wyatt 61(37) and Tammy Beaumont 41(44) played splendid knocks. They got their second victory of the season against Perth Scorchers whom they defeated by 4 wickets.
7th Position: Perth Scorchers
The Scorchers have played 5 games out of which they have won 2, losing the rest. They won over Brisbane Heat courtesy Meg Lanning’s 56 off 52 and Amy Jones unbeaten 60 off 49. Their second win came against Melbourne Renegades when they chased the DLS set target in the last over of the innings.
8th Position: Melbourne Stars
Winning only 1 out of the 6 games that they have played, Melbourne Stars find a place at the bottom of the table. Their sole win of the season came against Perth Scorchers when explosive batter Lizelle Lee hit the first hundred of the tournament. Lee remained not out on 103(65), giving the Stars their first win of the season. Lee along with Elyse Villani, Mignon du Preez, Erin Osborne are some of the positives that the Stars can bank on during the future matches this season.
(Points table listings as per 05 November 2019)
Loves all things female cricket
