Peschel steps out of comfort zone to level up in WBBL|10

Taneale Peschel hopes a move out of her comfort zone – and a reunion with coach Lisa Keightley – will be the key to unlocking a new level in her game in Weber WBBL|10, after signing a two-year deal with the Sydney Thunder. 

The right-arm pace bowler brings with her 73 games of experience across seven seasons from the Perth Scorchers, who she made her debut for in 2017-18. 

Peschel is the second addition to the Thunder ranks alongside rising star Georgia Voll, as the club looks to build on an improved season that saw them finish inside the top four in WBBL|09.   

The 29-year-old debuted for Perth aged 23 in WBBL|03 and enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2020, when she took 13 wickets to be named in the Team of the Tournament.  

She then played a crucial role in Perth's maiden WBBL title the following season, taking 2-23 off her four overs in the final, including the wickets of Tahlia McGrath and Dane Van Niekerk. 

But a nagging feeling that her game had stagnated over the past two seasons prompted Peschel to consider playing outside the WA and Scorchers set-up for the first time.

It was during the off-season, when Peschel was travelling around New Zealand's South Island with her sister – who moved from Perth to Sydney for work earlier this year – that the quick had the space and time to fully mull the offers she had been presented by various clubs.   

"We actually got stuck in one of the towns for a couple of days which gave us a bit of downtime," Peschel told cricket.com.au.

"We sat over coffee and said, 'Maybe it's the time to have change and take on a new challenge. Can I learn something else? Can I be living in another state? Make different connections? Can I grow my game from other people? Can I help other people grow their game, knowing that the Thunder have a younger group of girls.'

"I love the Scorchers and it was tough to walk into Becky's office and say I've taken another offer, but I felt like my path needed to change.

"Something just felt right about the change, and I'm quite a safe person so I don't really like change that often.

"It is absolutely scary ... but I just felt like in my career, and where I'm at, I just wanted to grow a little bit more."

Sydney Thunder WBBL|10 squad (so far): Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Saskia Horley, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson  

 

In: Georgia Voll (Heat), Taneale Peschel (Scorchers). Out: Lauren Smith (Hurricanes), Marizanne Kapp (Stars) 

 

Local players off contract: Paris Bowdler, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Olivia Porter 

 

WBBL|09 overseas players: Heather Knight (England), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Lauren Bell (England), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa) 

 

WBBL|10 Draft picks: 5, 13, 21, 29  

The chance to reunite with Keightley, who previously coached Peschel at the Scorchers and Western Australia, was key in choosing the Thunder over several other offers. 

In 2017-18, Keightley was instrumental in reigniting Peschel's career. Several years earlier, shortly after making her WA debut, she had walked away from elite cricket aged 19, feeling as though she did not belong at the highest level. 

"Taneale was playing club cricket and she was the fastest bowler there, the best bowler there, and I just thought she had the potential to give it another crack at a higher level," Keightley recalled. 

"I try to create an environment in which players can feel comfortable in being themselves and thrive. We offered Taneale that opportunity at that time and we will offer that opportunity again at Thunder. 

"Taneale is a highly skilled bowler and has pace that not many have ... it's what we are after to compliment our medium pacers.  

"She has bowled at key times for the Scorchers, in the power play and at the death and done really well."  

Peschel is presently one of two quicks on the Thunder list alongside Australia-capped Hannah Darlington, while Sammy-Jo Johnson and Ebony Hoskin are among those off-contract. 

With nine players on the books and three overseas spots to fill, the Thunder have three places remaining for locals. 

The Thunder have yet to reveal if they will take advantage of the WBBL's new signing provision, which enables each club to recruit one overseas player for up to three years, outside of the WBBL draft. 

But they will not have the option to retain South Africa superstar Marizanne Kapp, whom they selected with pick No.1 in last season's draft, after she was locked in by Melbourne Stars for the next three years. 

Scorchers squad (so far) for WBBL|10: Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Mikayla Hinkley, Alana King, Lilly Mills, Chloe Piparo 

 

In: Mikayla Hinkley (Heat). Out: Taneale Peschel (Thunder) 

 

Local players off contract: Amy Edgar, Beth Mooney, Charis Bekker, Lisa Griffith, Zoe Britcliffe (local replacement player) 

 

WBBL|09 overseas players: Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Amy Jones, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill (all England) 

 

WBBL|10 Draft picks: 8, 16, 17, 32 

Peschel is the first confirmed departure from the Scorchers, who have eight players currently on their list for WBBL|10. 

However the club are also expected to be without Natalie Sciver-Brunt this season, after the England superstar told the BBC last month she would not make herself available to play in the WBBL this season, with the tournament starting immediately after the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, and partly overlapping with England’s tour of South Africa starting in late November.