Complete squad lists for WBBL|05

The Rebel WBBL is set to begin with a bang this Friday with a blockbuster Sydney Smash under lights at North Sydney Oval. 

But before a ball has even been bowled, the first standalone Women’s Big Bash season has already produced some of the biggest player moves in the tournament’s five-year history. 

View the full WBBL|05 fixture here 

Ahead of the WBBL|05 opener, take a moment to catch up on all the moves and find out which of the world’s best cricketers will be making their way to Australian shores this season. 

Squads will again feature 15 players, with an allowance of up to five marquee players and a maximum of three from overseas.  

Australian marquees are players who held a Cricket Australia contract at the beginning of the WBBL|05 contracting period last February. 

Adelaide Strikers 

Marquees signed: Five, plus a replacement 

In: Katie Mack (Stars), Stafanie Taylor (Eng, Thunder), Lauren Winfield (Eng)  

Out: Dani Hazell (Eng), Samantha Betts (Scorchers), Katelyn Pope, Eliza Doddridge  

Squad: Suzie Bates (NZ), Darcie Brown, Sarah Coyte, Sophie Devine (NZ), Ellie Falconer, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Tegan McPharlin, Annie O’Neill, Bridget Patterson, Alex Price, Tabatha Saville, Megan Schutt (Aus), Stafanie Taylor (WI), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Aus), Lauren Winfield (Eng, replacement) 

After a disappointing campaign in WBBL|04, the Strikers have a new coach in Luke Williams on board and have made some very handy additions to their ranks for the upcoming season.  

First and foremost is the recruitment of West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor – the second highest run scorer in women’s T20I history, after fellow Striker Suzie Bates – from the Thunder. While she won’t be available for the whole season due to international commitments, the Strikers have lined up England’s Lauren Winfield as a replacement. 

White Ferns ‘Smash Sisters’ Sophie Devine and Bates will also return, in welcome news for Strikers fans, while Adelaide continue to boast the world’s top-ranked T20I bowler in Australian star Megan Schutt. 

Batter Katie Mack comes across from the Melbourne Stars – hopefully helping to ensure that when Bates and Devine don’t fire, there’s more firepower to come in the middle order. 

Brisbane Heat 

Marquee players signed: Five  

In: Amelia Kerr (NZ), Maddy Green (NZ), Mikayla Hinkley (Hurricanes), Lilly Mills 

Out: Jemma Barsby (Scorchers), Josie Dooley (Renegades), Sune Luus (SA), Laura Wolvaardt (SA) 

Squad: Lilly Mills, Charli Knott, Haidee Birkett, Maddy Green (NZ), Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jess Jonassen (Aus), Amelia Kerr (international), Delissa Kimmince (Aus), Beth Mooney (Aus), Georgia Prestwidge, Kirby Short, Courtney Sippel. 

The WBBL|04 champions look stronger than ever as they seek to defend their title. They’ve added two exciting imports in New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr and batter Maddy Green, who join Australian stars Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney and Delissa Kimmince to form a formidable group of marquee players. 

The bulk of their championship squad returns, minus young ‘keeper-batter Josie Dooley, who moves to the Renegades, and Jemma Barsby, who is headed west, but they’ve added former Hurricane Mikayla Hinkley and newcomer Lilly Mills. 

Hobart Hurricanes 

Marquee players signed: Four, plus a replacement 

In: Nicola Carey (Thunder), Maisy Gibson (Thunder), Belinda Vakarewa (Thunder), Tayla Vlaeminck (Renegades), Fran Wilson (Eng), Chloe Tryon (SA), Emily Smith (Scorchers) 

Out: Veronica Pyke (retired), Georgia Redmayne (Scorchers), Mikayla Hinkley (Heat), Ashley Day, Rhiann O'Donnell, Smriti Mandhana, Emma Thompson

Squad: Corinne Hall (c), Nicola Carey (Aus), Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Maisy Gibson, Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight (Eng), Hayley Matthews (WI, replacement), Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith, Chloe Tryon (SA), Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson (Eng)

The Hurricanes have been on a recruiting spree! Coach Salliann Briggs seemingly has left no stone unturned as she looks to improve on a disappointing WBBL|04 campaign, which saw the Hurricanes finish bottom of the table.  

They’ve picked up two current Australian representatives in allrounder Nicola Carey and fiery quick Tayla Vlaeminck, with Carey one of three players lured across from the Thunder alongside pace bowler Belinda Vakarewa and spinner Maisy Gibson. 

While India superstar Smriti Mandhana doesn’t look to be returning to the Big Bash this summer, Hobart have picked up a very handy replacement in England’s Fran Wilson, while South African allrounder Chloe Tryon is set to play her first season in the WBBL and England captain Heather Knight returns.  

The loss of Georgia Redmayne to the Scorchers is a blow, but the Hurricanes have signed Emily Smith to take the gloves this season. 

Melbourne Renegades 

Marquee players signed: Five 

In: Josie Dooley (Heat), Tammy Beaumont (Eng), Makinley Blows (Stars), Carly Leeson (Sixers), Courtney Neale 

Out: Tayla Vlaeminck (Hurricanes), Amy Satterthwaite (maternity), Emma Inglis, Anna Lanning, Zoe Cooke 

Squad: Tammy Beaumont (Eng), Makinley Blows, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin, Erica Kershaw, Claire Koski, Carly Leeson, Sophie Molineux (Aus), Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu (NZ), Georgia Wareham (Aus), Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt (Eng) 

Fresh off a maiden finals campaign last season, the Melbourne Renegades’ squad only looks to be getting stronger as the young talent in the team gains more experience.  

Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux received their first Cricket Australia contracts so have been bumped up to marquee status, and they’re joined by the international experience of Lea Tahuhu, Danni Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont. 

New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite won’t be returning this summer after the exciting news she is expecting a baby with wife Tahuhu, but the Renegades have found a strong replacement in England star Tammy Beaumont, while Jess Duffin takes over as captain. 

There’ll be a new face behind the stumps at the Renegades this summer after they lured keeper-batter Josie Dooley south from the Brisbane Heat, but they’ve bid farewell to speedster Tayla Vlaeminck, who has moved to the ‘Canes. 

Melbourne Stars 

Marquee players signed: Four 

In: Elyse Villani (Scorchers), Emma Inglis (Renegades), Lucy Cripps, Tess Flintoff, Katey Martin  

Out: Katie Mack (Strikers), Makinley Blows (Renegades), Georgia Elwiss, Elly Donald, Chloe Rafferty  

Squad: Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez (SA), Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee (SA), Katey Martin (NZ), Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani (Aus)(c) 

After missing the finals last season, the Stars needed someone to come in and bolster their batting and they’ve found exactly that with the arrival of former Scorcher Elyse Villani, who will have an added case to prove after being dropped from the Australian squad. 

South African imports Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee are back for another season, and they are joined by talented White Ferns batter Katey Martin, a previous replacement international for the Stars.  

Emma Inglis returns to the Stars after a stint with the Renegades, but the Stars have lost top-order batter Katie Mack to the Strikers. 

Perth Scorchers 

Marquee players signed: Five 

In: Jemma Barsby (Heat), Samantha Betts (Strikers), Kath Hempenstall (WA), Georgia Redmayne (Hurricanes), Nat Sciver (Eng), Kim Garth (Ireland) 

Out: Lauren Ebsary (retired), Elyse Villani (Stars), Megan Banting, Emily Smith, Kate Cross, Bhavish Devchand, Hayley Jensen  

Squad: Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton (Aus), Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Kim Garth (Ireland), Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones (Eng), Emma King, Meg Lanning (Aus), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Natalie Sciver (Eng) 

A couple of familiar faces return to the Scorchers, with English opener Amy Jones back after appearing in orange in WBBL|04 and she’ll be joined by countrywoman Nat Sciver, who comes back after a hiatus from the WBBL last year.  

There’s a hole in the batting left by Elyse Villani’s departure to the Stars, but they’ve found a handy recruit – and potentially someone to fight Jones for the ‘keeping gloves – in Australia A representative Georgia Redmayne, who moves across from the Hurricanes. 

On the bowling front, Heather Graham was last season’s leading wicket-taker and will be looking to emulate that form, while Kath Hempenstall is a pace bowler who, at 30 years old, is donning a Big Bash shirt for the first time since 2016. 

Sydney Sixers

Marquee players signed: Five

In: Maddy Darke, Emma Hughes, Stella Campbell, Alisha Burns

Out: Sara McGlashan (retired), Tahlia Wilson (Thunder), Carly Leeson (Renegades), Clara Iemma

Squad: Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner (Aus), Alyssa Healy (Aus), Jodie Hicks, Emma Hughes, Marizanne Kapp (SA), Ellyse Perry (Aus) (c), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Dane van Niekerk (SA), Lauren Smith

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Last year’s finalists and the WBBL03 champions have an incredibly complete line-up already so the lack of change is completely understandable. With Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner at the top of the order followed by recent Australian debutant Erin Burns and Marizanne Kapp spearheading a bowling attack that also benefits from the skills of Perry, Gardner, Lauren Cheatle and Kapp’s fellow South African Dane van Niekerk, it’s hard to imagine a competition where the Sixers aren’t a dominant side.

They are also looking to the future, with exciting young faces in their squad including Australia under-19s keeper-batter Maddy Darke, 16-year-old Hayley Silver-Holmes and recent high school graduate Emma Hughes in their ranks.

Sydney Thunder

Marquee players signed: Four

In: Tahlia Wilson (Sixers), Nida Dar (Pakistan), Shabnim Ismail (SA), Kate Peterson, Phoebe Litchfield 

Out: Nicola Carey (Hurricanes), Maisy Gibson (Hurricanes), Belinda Vakarewa (Hurricanes), Stafanie Taylor (Strikers), Harmanpreet Kaur

Squad: Rachael Haynes (Aus) (c), Sam Bates, Alex Blackwell, Nida Dar (Pak), Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail (SA), Kate Peterson, Rachel Priest (NZ), Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson 

There’s been change aplenty at the Thunder this off-season! First, there’s been the departures of Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson and Belinda Vakarewa to the Hobart Hurricanes, followed by Windies star Stafanie Taylor’s move to the Strikers, while it is unlikely India superstar Harmanpreet Kaur will be spotted in green this season. 

But there are some welcome new faces, too, led by Nida Dar, the first Pakistani woman to earn a WBBL contact, and fiery South African quick Shabnim Ismail, one of the fastest bowlers in the game.

Former captain Alex Blackwell has signed on for another season, but she’s handed over the leadership to Australian vice-captain Rachael Haynes, while the Thunder also have a new coach in two-time England Super League winning mentor Trevor Griffin.

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