Wareham ready for return two years in the making

Two years to the day since tearing her ACL, Georgia Wareham will make a highly anticipated return to the Weber WBBL on Friday when the Renegades host Brisbane Heat in Melbourne.

The leg-spinner returns to the Big Bash a stronger all-round player than she was on October 20, 2021, when an awkward slip in the field resulted in two surgeries and a 14-month lay-off, and eager to show off the improvements she has made to her game.

Wareham will play a leading role in the Renegades spin department alongside Hayley Matthews and Ella Hayward this season as the club looks to overcome the loss of captain and left-arm tweaker Sophie Molineux, who is enduring an extended ACL recovery of her own.

"I'm excited to put on the red jumper again, and hopefully win a few games for us out there ... it's definitely been hard watching the last couple of years," Wareham said this week.

The 24-year-old is poised to take on greater responsibility with the bat, after fashioning herself into a hard-hitting finishing option in Australia’s XI since returning from her knee injury in February.

Wareham hammered a handy 32no off 13 balls in Australia’s first T20I against West Indies in Sydney earlier this month, and during the Ashes, her 37 not out off 14 balls proved pivotal in Australia’s trophy-retaining ODI victory in Southampton.

Where exactly Wareham will slot into the Renegades middle-order remains to be seen; after experienced international openers Hayley Matthews and Tammy Beaumont, they have a strong core in Harmanpreet Kaur, Courtney Webb, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin.

With that in mind, the Mortlake product is prepared to be flexible.

"I've been in (coach Simon Helmot’s) ear a little bit so we'll see how we go," Wareham said.

"It might be a bit of a floating role.

"Any batter would say they want to get pushed up the order a little bit, but I guess it's all game dependent, wherever the team needs me."

Few are more excited for Wareham’s return than Helmot, after the Renegades were forced to make do without the leg-spinner for the best part of three seasons.

Wareham has played just eight Big Bash matches across that period; six matches into WBBL|06 a lower leg injury prematurely ended her tournament, while she played just two matches a year later before her disastrous ACL tear.

"That's probably the most exciting part of the season," Helmot told cricket.com.au.

"Losing Soph is devastating but having Georgia Wareham come back into the side, (she’s a) genuine wicket-taker who can help control the middle overs.

"And not forgetting she's one of the best fielders in the competition and she can really bolster our middle order with the bat."

Wareham said it would be "impossible" to replace either of Molineux or fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck – who will also miss the entire season with a shoulder injury.

But Molineux will remain close to the Renegades squad, supporting replacement captain Matthews throughout the tournament.

"Sophie will still be around so I think she'll still have a massive impact on the group and with our internationals, they have a lot of experience leading teams so I don't think we'll struggle in that sense," Wareham said.

"It’s almost impossible to replace those guys but I think with the squad that we've built, I think it will allow our younger guys to step up."

The Renegades, who finished seventh last season, host the Heat at the CitiPower Centre to begin their WBBL|09 campaign.

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