New and familiar faces alike in the best XI of WBBL|07 plus the season's leading coach, as voted by the league's selection panel
Official WBBL|07 Team of the Tournament revealed
The official Weber WBBL|07 Team of the Tournament has been revealed, with Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine taking their spot at the top of the order for a third consecutive season.
Captained by Scorchers leader Devine, the XI features players from six of the eight clubs and, in keeping with WBBL playing conditions, a limit of three overseas players has been imposed.
However, selectors opted to pick just two international players - allrounders Devine and Harmanpreet Kaur - with local talent making up the remainder of the squad.
The side includes six members of Australia's most recent international squad, plus Aussie regular Jess Jonassen, with Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris also making their way into the XI in what was a tight race for some positions.
The side aims for a realistic mix of batters and bowlers, and the four-person selection panel nailed down the best XI of WBBL|07 on Sunday, with players rewarded for various factors including wickets in the Powerplay, economy rates, strike rates and contributions towards victories.
WBBL Finals
The Eliminator: Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers | Adelaide Oval | November 24, 6.40pm local (7.10pm AEDT)
The Challenger: Melbourne Renegades v TBC | Adelaide Oval | November 25, 6.40pm local (7.10pm AEDT)
The Final: Perth Scorchers v TBC | Optus Stadium | November 27 at 4.10pm local (7.10pm AEDT)
Grab your tickets or tune in on the Seven Network, Fox Cricket, Kayo, the CA Live app or listen on ABC radio
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 Melbourne Renegades coach Simon Helmot getting the nod ahead of the Heat's Ashley Noffke for turning around his team's fortunes after a disappointing WBBL|06 that yielded just four wins for the team in red.
In his first season at the helm of the Renegades, Helmot steered a new-look team that had eight changes from WBBL|06 – including the departures of Molly Strano, Maitlan Brown and Lizelle Lee – into second spot, despite losing star leg-spinner Georgia Wareham to injury along the way.
WBBL|07 Team of the Tournament
1) Beth Mooney (Perth Scorchers)
M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 528 | Ave: 52.80 | SR: 132 | HS: 101* | 100s: 1 | 50s: 4
Incredibly, Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine fill the opening spots for a third consecutive season. The pair were both at the top of the order, when playing for opposing sides, in the WBBL|05 Team of the Tournament and since joining forces at Perth Scorchers, they have carried on their golden run. Mooney finished the regular season at the top of the runs table with 528 having become the first player to pass 3500 WBBL career runs during the tournament. Remarkably, she is the only player to have passed 400 runs in every single WBBL season, a mark of her consistency in the most inconsistent of formats. Her strike rate has also jumped from 119 last season to 132 this time around.
2) Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers) (overseas player) (c)
M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 407 | Ave: 33.91 | SR: 130.86 | HS: 101 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 2
Wkts: 9 | Ave: 19.22 | Econ: 7.20 | BBI: 2-11 | SR: 16 | 4wi: 0
Sophie Devine is one of the all-time greatest for a reason and she again takes her spot in the Team of the Tournament after another standout campaign for the Scorchers, stepping up with bat and ball. Devine had been working back to top form after taking a break from the game earlier this year and found her groove in orange, hitting a brilliant century and, crucially, single-handedly winning two Super Overs for her team. That ability to win matches and bat at a damaging strike rate saw Devine get the nod over other high scoring opening batters, including Elyse Villani and Smriti Mandhana.
3) Georgia Redmayne (Brisbane Heat) (wk)
M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 436 | Ave: 36.33 | SR: 120.44 | HS: 71 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 5| Ct: 13 | St: 4
Georgia Redmayne has taken her game to yet another level this season with both the bat and behind the stumps. She has enjoyed her best season to date with the bat, and was also the league's standout wicketkeeper, with the benefits of several months spent working with England legend Sarah Taylor in the UK paying off.
4) Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades) (overseas player)
M: 12 | Inns 11 | Runs: 399 | Ave: 66.5 | SR: 135.25 | HS: 81* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 3
Wkts: 15| Ave: 20.4 | Econ: 7.46 | BBI: 3-22 | SR: 16.4 | 4wi: 0
Harmanpreet Kaur has been a dominant force with bat and ball for the Renegades, spearheading their rise back up the ladder after joining her new club. With bat in hand she has been unstoppable, hitting a competition-best 18 sixes, while she's also thrived in her new role with the ball in the Powerplay following the injury to star leg-spinner, Georgia Wareham.
5) Grace Harris (Brisbane Heat)
M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 403 | Ave: 33.58 | SR: 128.34 | HS: 75 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 4
Grace Harris has been searching for consistency since losing her spot in the Australian team back in 2016 and all signs this season point to her beginning to crack the code. Working with Georgia Redmayne – who seems the perfect foil for her more aggressive partner – Harris has hit four half-centuries at an impressive strike rate, and their consistent partnership has been crucial in setting up the innings for the Heat.
6) Tahlia McGrath (Adelaide Strikers)
M: 14 | Inns: 12 | Runs: 264 | Ave: 37.71 | SR: 110 | HS: 50* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 1
Wkts: 10 | Ave: 26.9 | Econ: 7.14 | BBI: 3-17 | SR: 22.6 | 4wi: 0
Tahlia McGrath has excelled in her first season at the helm of the Strikers. She headed into the tournament in red-hot form following a breakout series for Australia against India and shone early before hitting a quiet patch in the middle of the tournament. But the Strikers' resurgence at the back end of the competition coincided with McGrath's strong performances with the bat in the middle-order and also with the ball.
7) Jess Jonassen (Brisbane Heat)
M: 13 | Wkts: 21 | Ave: 14.04 | Econ: 6.53 | BBI: 3-10 | SR: 12.9 | 4wi: 0
What injury? Jess Jonassen headed into the season having not played an elite match since April after missing the India series with a shin injury, but it certainly did not show (nor did her nerves). The Heat skipper has steered her side into the finals once more, leading the way with the ball, although she has not quite managed to find the same form with the bat, scoring 100 runs in 11 innings.
8) Amanda-Jade Wellington (Adelaide Strikers)
M: 13 | Wkts: 16 | Ave: 17.50 | Econ: 6.66 | BBI: 2-12 | SR: 15.7 | 4wi: 0
Amanda-Jade Wellington has rediscovered her love for the game across the past year and it has shown in her performances throughout WBBL|07. The leg-spinner has hovered near the top of the wickets tally all season and given the Aussie team might be looking for a leggie in the long-term absence of Wareham, she is making her case for an international recall. Her consistency in WBBL|07 has helped her just edge out Alana King for the wrist-spinner's spot.
9) Hannah Darlington (Sydney Thunder)
M: 13 | Wkts: 16 | Ave: 20.75 | Econ: 6.38 | BBI: 3-21 | SR: 19.5 | 4wi: 0
Hannah Darlington makes her second successive Team of the Tournament as the 19-year-old pace bowler continues to make her mark on Big Bash cricket. Handed the Thunder captaincy in the absence of Rachael Haynes, Darlington's added responsibilities did not stop her producing her trademark displays through the middle overs and at the death. She bore more responsibility than ever before, with the Thunder missing a host of stars from their WBBL|06 title win.
10) Tayla Vlaeminck (Hobart Hurricanes)
M: 14 | Wkts: 13 | Ave: 22.38 | Econ: 6.06 | BBI: 3-21 | SR: 22.1 | 4wi: 0
Another Aussie pace ace impressed the selection panel this season, with Vlaeminck playing a full WBBL season after missing last year through injury. She took big wickets in the Powerplay and was a constant threat with her pace, edging out Lauren Cheatle for a spot in the XI after the left-armer's successful return to cricket this season.
11) Darcie Brown (Adelaide Strikers)
M: 12 | Wkts: 12 | Ave: 18.46 | Econ: 6.44 | BBI: 3-19 | SR: 17.2 | 4wi: 0
Watching Darcie Brown play cricket is a joyful experience and she has certainly brought a smile to the faces of Strikers fans this season. The express pace bowler has torn through some of the best top-orders in the competition, even taking a hat-trick, and the benefits of her first full senior pre-season and an international debut on her bowling have been obvious. No one likes facing Brown and it is easy to see why; after being named 12th in last year's Team of the Tournament, she has claimed her place in the XI this time around.