Full circle: Lifelong Thunder fan scores first WBBL deal

Sydney Thunder are continuing their investment in the future, adding teenagers Olivia Porter and Kate Peterson to their squad for the upcoming Rebel WBBL season.

Seventeen-year-old bowler Peterson returns to the Thunder on a two-year deal, while 18-year-old allrounder Porter has signed her first WBBL contract, a one-year deal.

The Thunder, who finished sixth in last year's competition, have filled 13 spots on their roster and still have room for two more overseas marquees to join South African quick Shabnim Ismail and Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes in their squad.

With the experienced Alex Blackwell and Rene Farrell retiring at the end of last season, the signings of Peterson and Porter mean the Thunder have now have eight players in their squad aged 20 or younger.

Thunder coach Trevor Griffin said changes to the makeup of the squad will give younger players an opportunity to contribute to the team in a meaningful way.

"For me, it's all about encouraging these young players to have courage and play the game their way," Griffin said.

"For somebody so young, (Peterson) can execute a yorker well and she's a real competitor in the field.

"(Porter) bowls a heavy ball with good pace and some movement, and as a batter she wants to score runs and impose herself on the opposition."

Highlighting the positive impact of the Big Bash on younger generations, Sydney-local Porter vividly remembers attending the WBBL|01 final that ended in success for her new team.

"I've been a Thunder supporter since BBL|01 and WBBL|01," Porter told cricket.com.au.

"I remember going with my family to the WBBL|01 final, it was Thunder v Sixers and there were only a couple of hundred people watching that.

"To see now thousands of people watching, to be a part of that growth as a spectator has been awesome, now to be part of it as a player is even better."

Porter got her first taste of Big Bash cricket last season after receiving a shock phone call from head coach Griffin asking her to join the team as a replacement player for Pakistan's Nida Dar.

"That definitely came out of nowhere," the first-year university student said.  

"I remember I was just finishing HSC (High School Certificate), I was really tired and Trevor (Griffin) rang me and said 'We need an extra player, we'd love to have you come and join us'.

"I got off the phone and just said 'Oh my god this isn't happening'.

"So literally the next day I was on a bus to Canberra, sitting with these players that I watch on TV."

Seven months later, Porter was awarded her first state contract with the ACT Meteors in June and has since made the move to Canberra where she's been gaining valuable experience training alongside the experience of Maitlan Brown, Angela Reakes and Erin Osborne.

Now preparing for what will be a unique season of the WBBL, with the entire competition to be played inside a Sydney hub, Porter is yet to come together with her new Thunder teammates, but is determined to soak up as much knowledge as possible from experienced teammates inside the bubble, particularly fellow allrounder and new recruit Sammy-Jo Johnson.

"I was super stoked that Sammy-Jo was coming to the Thunder. I've grown up watching her play quite a bit," Porter said. 

"I remember sitting on the sidelines watching her hit sixes into the stands and thinking, 'Wow, I really want to do what she does'.

"I think I'll be leaning on Sammy-Jo to just see how she goes about her game, her processes and just to learn and help me create my own path."

Currently in her first year of studying a Bachelor of Health and Movement at the Australian College of Physical Education, Porter is getting in the swing of online learning and believes her studies will serve as an important distraction from cricket, especially within the confined quarters of the hub environment.

"I think it's easy to get really consumed in cricket, especially at a young age always wanting to be involved and doing your best, I think the balance between uni is going to be really important for me just as a way of switching off."

Cricket Australia last week confirmed a full 59-game will played entirely in Sydney, with the competition beginning on Sunday 25 October.

Details regarding the fixture, venues, broadcast times will be released in due course.

Thunder squad so far: Rachael Haynes (c) (Aus), Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Kate Peterson, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson