WBBL preview: Canes' batting gains to offset bowling losses

Hobart Hurricanes allrounder Nicola Carey is confident the club can improve this Rebel WBBL season despite losing two key members of their bowling attack.

A ball has yet to be bowled in WBBL|06, but already the Hurricanes know they will be without star quick Tayla Vlaeminck and leg-spinner Maisy Gibson for the entire tournament.

Vlaeminck is still on the comeback trail after a foot injury ruled her out of the T20 World Cup in February, while Gibson ruptured her ACL during the preseason.

"Tayla is unique, not a lot of girls have the pace she possesses, so she's really hard to replace ... and Maisy was a key bowler for us last year, so we're really going to miss her," Carey said this week from Sydney, where the entire season will be played in a bio-secure hub.

"But we've brought in a few new faces and I'm sure they can do the job."

Even without Vlaeminck, the Hurricanes will still have a strong group of marquee players, with Australia representative Carey joined by West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews, South Africa's Chloe Tryon and New Zealand 'keeper-bat Rachel Priest.

They have also added injury cover through the signing of New Zealand pace bowler Hayley Jensen as an overseas replacement player.

While Jensen cannot be used as a straight swap for Vlaeminck on the main list, due to rules limiting clubs to three overseas players, she can be rotated into the squad if any of Matthews, Tryon or Priest become injured.

After finishing seventh on the table last season, the Hurricanes were one of the busier clubs during the contracting period, adding six new faces to their ranks for the season.

That included the signings of Sydney Thunder openers Priest and Naomi Stalenberg, which addressed a key problem area from WBBL|05, when Hobart experimented with varying opening partnerships without success.

"Last season was a bit disappointing and the coaches have had a look at the things we needed to do better, and recruited accordingly," Carey said.

"I thought we were solid with the ball last year and it was probably our batting that let us down at times.

"So we've recruited some big hitters, (with) Stalenberg, Priest … we've got Chloe back and Matthews is back as well, so I think we've added some depth to our batting order."

The Hurricanes also boast the youngest player in the WBBL Village, 15-year-old leg-spinner Amy Smith.

"She's very young, very talented," Carey said. "I did a lot of training with her in the preseason and liked what I saw.

"She's got a lot of skill and it'd be really exciting if she got a crack in this tournament."

Squad: Nicola Carey (Aus), Hayley Matthews (WI), Rachel Priest (NZ), Chloe Tryon (SA), Emma Thompson, Brooke Hepburn, Corinne Hall, Erica Kershaw, Sasha Moloney, Chloe Rafferty, Amy Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Belinda Vakarewa

Replacement players: Hayley Jenson (NZ), Chloe Abel, Nell Bryson Smith, Emily Smith

Ins: Rachel Priest (Thunder), Naomi Stalenberg (Thunder), Erica Kershaw (Renegades), Chloe Rafferty, Amy Smith, Emma Thompson 

Outs: Erin Fazackerley (Renegades), Heather Knight (Thunder), Fran Wilson (England, replacement player), Stephanie Daffara, Katelyn Fryett, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith

Injuries: Tayla Vlaeminck (foot), Maisy Gibson (ACL)

Possible best XI: Rachel Priest (wk), Naomi Stalenberg, Hayley Matthews, Nicola Carey, Chloe Tryon, Corinne Hall (c), Sasha Moloney, Erica Kershaw, Brooke Hepburn, Belinda Vakarewa, Amy Smith

Last year's result: 7th (four wins, nine losses, one no result)

The inside word with Kristen Beams

"It's going to be all about (pace bowler) Belinda Vakarewa. I'm sure most teams will have gone away and try to come back with better plans against her, so her ability to back it up and have another really good year is going to be really telling for the Hurricanes."

Fixtures:

October 25: v Strikers, Hurstville Oval

October 26: v Scorchers, Hurstville Oval

October 31: v Heat, Showground Stadium

November 1: v Stars, Drummoyne Oval

November 3: v Renegades, Blacktown International Sports Park

November 7: v Sixers, North Sydney Oval

November 8: v Thunder, Hurstville Oval

November 10: v Renegades, Blacktown International Sports Park

November 14: v Sixers, Showground Stadium

November 15: v Heat, Drummoyne Oval

November 17: v Strikers, Hurstville Oval

November 18: v Stars, Hurstville Oval

November 21: v Scorchers, North Sydney Oval

November 22: v Thunder, Drummoyne Oval