Devine takes top individual gong in WBBL awards

Perth Scorchers star Sophie Devine has been named the Rebel WBBL|06 Player of the Tournament ahead of Meg Lanning while the competition's official Team of the Tournament was also revealed on the eve of the finals campaign in Sydney.

Devine took out the tournament's top individual honour after a campaign that saw her score 448 runs at a strike rate of 130.23 and take five wickets.

Votes are awarded on a 3-2-1 basis by each standing umpire at the end of every match, meaning a player can receive up to six votes per match.

Devine polled 31 votes, finishing ahead of the Melbourne Stars skipper Lanning (29 votes), Sydney Thunder's Heather Knight (28), Brisbane Heat's Grace Harris (22) and Sydney Sixers' Alyssa Healy (22).

Meanwhile Adelaide Strikers fast bowler Darcie Brown has been named the Rebel Young Gun as the best player under 21, after capturing attention for bowling in excess of 120kph aged just 17.

Captained by Stars leader Lanning, the Team of the Tournament features players from five of the eight clubs and, in keeping with WBBL playing conditions, a limit of three overseas players has been imposed.

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WBBL Finals: North Sydney Oval

First semi-final: Stars v Scorchers, Wednesday 7.10pm

Second semi-final: Heat v Thunder, Thursday 7.10pm

Final: SF1 v SF2, Saturday 7.10pm

Tune in to the WBBL finals on the Seven Network, Fox Cricket, Kayo, the CA Live app or listen on ABC radio

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Aiming for a realistic mix of batters and bowlers, the four-person selection panel nailed down the best XI of WBBL|06 on Monday following discussion throughout the season.

With some very tight calls made, players were rewarded for various factors including wickets in the Powerplay, economy rates, strike rates and contributions towards victories.

Joining cricket.com.au journalist Laura Jolly on the panel were former Australia players Lisa Sthalekar (Seven Network) and Mel Jones (Fox Cricket) and Australia national selector Shawn Flegler.

The panel also appointed a coach for the Team of the Tournament, with Brisbane Heat mentor Ashley Noffke getting the nod ahead of the Stars' Trent Woodhill.

While Woodhill gets tremendous credit for steering his team into their first finals appearance, Noffke got the nod for rebuilding his two-time champions following the departures of Beth Mooney, Sammy-Jo Johnson and Kirby Short and seeing them into the top four with an impressive streak of wins.

Each member of the Team of the Tournament has received a trophy acknowledging their selection.

WBBL|06 Team of the Tournament

Beth Mooney (Perth Scorchers) (wk)

M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 524 | Ave: 58.22 | SR: 119.36 | HS: 75* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 4 | Ct: 5 | St: 3

New year, new teams, same opening partnership. Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine were both at the top of the order in the WBBL|05 Team of the Tournament and here they are again, having joined forces at the Perth Scorchers this season. Mooney finished the regular season at the top of the runs table with more than 500 runs, having become the first player to reach 3000 WBBL career runs during the tournament.

She hit four half-centuries and after taking over the wicketkeeping gloves from England import Amy Jones at the Scorchers this season, has also kept her spot behind the stumps in the team of the tournament.  She has taken fewer dismissals than Georgia Redmayne (16), Tegan McPharlin (14), Alyssa Healy (11) and Josie Dooly (9), but what she brings as a 'keeper-bat package earns her this spot. Healy's 402 runs came at an incredible strike rate of 161.44, but more than a quarter of those came in her final innings of the tournament when the Sixers' were out of the running for finals.

Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers) (overseas player)

M: 11 | Inns: 11 | Runs: 448 | Ave: 56 | SR: 130.23 | HS: 103 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 3

Wkts: 5 | Ave: 30.6 | Econ: 7.28 | BBI: 2-12 | SR: 25.2 | 4wi: 0

If anyone had doubted whether Devine could back up her incredible campaign last season, the New Zealand superstar put those thoughts to rest. She ended the regular season third on the runs table despite missing two matches with a back injury – which also meant she did not bowl in the final two matches after making her return – but together with Mooney, was critical in helping the Scorchers reach the finals. She also hit 18 sixes through her 11 innings, three more than her nearest rival, however she bowled far less than in previous seasons, averaging two overs a match prior to her injury.

Meg Lanning (Melbourne Stars) (Captain)

M: 13 | Inns: 12 | Runs: 458 | Ave: 45.8 | SR: 128.65 | HS: 77 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 6

The Megastar's return to the Stars has been a joy to watch. She has struck six half-centuries to lead her team into the finals for the first time and has looked more powerful than ever, with her strike rate jumping to 128.65, up from 119.36 last season. She has formed a potent partnership with Elyse Villani at the top of the order, while her leadership, that has brought together a new-look squad seamlessly and guided them to the top of the table, means she also gets the 'C' in this team. While Lanning opens for the Stars, she slots in at first drop in this team behind the Scorchers stars.

Heather Knight (Sydney Thunder) (overseas player)

M: 13 | Inns 13 | Runs: 403 | Ave: 40.3 | SR: 127.53 | HS: 83 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 4

Wkts: 9| Ave: 15.33 | Econ: 6.9 | BBI: 3-4 | SR: 13.3 | 4wi: 0

Knight single-handedly won several matches for the Thunder off her own bat this season and is in career-best form in the shortest format of the game. Arguably the recruit of the off-season, her move from the Hurricanes has been a major boost for the Thunder, with the England captain hitting four half-centuries in 13 innings and, importantly, scoring those runs at a strike rate of 127.53.

Her contributions with the ball have also been a useful addition to the Thunder attack.

One big name missing from this top-order is Sydney Sixers captain Ellyse Perry. Her average of 48.75 was marginally ahead of Lanning and Knight, but T20 cricket is all about strike rate, and at 96.53, Perry was a long way off the pace this season coming back from a long injury lay-off.

Natalie Sciver (Melbourne Stars) (Overseas player)

M: 12 | Inns: 11 | Runs: 194 | Ave: 32.33 | SR: 130.2 | HS: 36* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0

Wkts: 18 | Ave: 12.44 | Econ: 6.78 | BBI: 4-29 | SR: 11 | 4wi: 1

The superstar England allrounder is equal top of the wickets table, while she has also made crucial contributions with the bat during the Stars' journey to the top of the table.

Whether bowling in the powerplay or at the death, Sciver has delivered almost every time she was called upon by Lanning, including her four-wicket haul against the Strikers. With the bat, her standout knock was her 32 off 13 against the Sixers, and while she finished the regular season with just 194 runs, that was a natural outcome of the form of the players batting above her at the Stars, which meant she had limited opportunities and finished not out on five occasions.

Sciver also provided one of the highlights of the tournament with her incredible leaping catch to dismiss the Thunder's Tammy Beaumont.

Laura Kimmince (Brisbane Heat)

M: 13 | Inns: 10 | Runs: 140 | Ave: 20 | SR: 202.89 | HS: 41 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0

It speaks volumes about the even contributions made across the Heat team that Kimmince is the sole Brisbane player to make this team. Kimmince has transformed herself into one of the most explosive finishers in the competition coming in at No.6 for the Heat, scoring 140 runs from just 69 deliveries faced.

Alana King (Melbourne Stars)

M: 9 | Wkts: 11 | Ave: 16.18 | Econ: 5.74 | BBI: 2-15 | SR: 16.9 | 4wi: 0

Leg-spinner King was not even in the Stars' XI at the start of the tournament but once she cracked the XI, she ensured she remained there. It was a close contest between King and fellow leg-spinner Amelia Kerr, however the restrictions on overseas players saw the New Zealander squeezed out.

King played fewer matches than Kerr, but her numbers stack up against the New Zealand star, who collected 14 wickets at 16.07 with an economy rate of 5.31.

Her power hitting in the lower order was also a highlight for the Stars. The 25-year-old has faced just 27 balls but has struck 62 runs, including six sixes, providing the Stars a late-innings lift in a tournament that trended towards the death bowlers dominating.

Sarah Coyte (Adelaide Strikers)

M: 13 | Wkts: 18 | Ave: 16.04 | Econ: 6.51 | BBI: 3-10 | SR: 14.7 | 4wi: 0

The only player from a team not playing finals to make the main XI, Coyte has been rewarded for her efforts at the death throughout the season, which included defending nine from the final over in Adelaide's last game of the tournament.

The former Australia representative finished equal top of the wickets tally alongside Sciver and the Thunder's Sammy-Jo Johnson final and was the first bowler locked into this XI.

Taneale Peschel (Perth Scorchers)

M: 13 | Wkts: 13 | Ave: 19.69 | Econ: 5.95 | BBI: 2-5 | SR: 19.8 | 4wi: 0

One of the surprise packets of the tournament, Peschel has produced her best ever WBBL season after a long injury layoff during the off-season due to a foot complaint. Her numbers blew out slightly following the run-fest against the Strikers that ended the regular season but her name was one of the first mentioned when canvassing options for this team. With Devine bowling less, Peschel's contributions have been critical.

Hannah Darlington (Sydney Thunder)

M: 12 | Wkts: 15 | Ave: 15.06 | Econ: 6.45 | BBI: 3-21 | SR: 14 | 4wi: 0

There were no second-year blues for 18-year-old Darlington who improved on what had been a breakout WBBL|05 with the ball. Her reliability with the ball, particularly through the middle overs and at the death, were crucial in securing a finals berth for the Thunder. And who could forget her perfect yorker to dismiss Lanning? Her knack of taking big, game-turning wickets gave her the edge over another outstanding Thunder pacer in Johnson.

Sam Bates (Sydney Thunder)

M: 14 | Wkts: 15 | Ave: 16.46 | Econ: 5.76 | BBI: 3-9 | SR: 17.1 | 4wi: 0

Left-arm spinner Bates has enjoyed a stand-out season with the ball, as part of a very impressive Thunder attack. Her standout performance came against the Scorchers, where she picked up 3-9 to help her side easily defend 144.

Unfazed bowling in the powerplay, one big-name removed by Bates this season was Devine, twice.

12th: Darcie Brown (Adelaide Strikers)

M: 12 | Wkts: 10 | Ave: 22.1 | Econ: 5.52 | BBI: 3-13 | SR: 24 | 4wi: 0

Brown had everyone talking at the start of the season as she unleashed her express pace for the first time in the WBBL. Capable of regularly hitting – and exceeding – speeds of 120kph, Brown was the tournament's fastest bowler despite being just 17 years of age. Named the Rebel Young Gun, the future is very bright for the Strikers speedster and while she did not quite crack the main XI this year, she was firmly in the discussion.