Super Stars: Melbourne's history of WBBL imports

The Big Bash Draft is almost upon us as the league's eight clubs ramp up their preparations for a milestone season of the Weber WBBL. Clubs will add at least two overseas players to their list for the tenth season of the competition at the draft on September 1.

In a new measure introduced this off-season, clubs have also been able to sign an overseas player prior to the draft on a multi-year contract. The Melbourne Stars have already made a splash by luring last year's number one pick, Marizanne Kapp, to the club on a three-year deal, having spent last season with the Sydney Thunder.

After nine seasons of the WBBL, we're looking back, club-by-club, at every import that has turned out in the tournament, memorable or otherwise.

History of overseas signings

WBBL|01: Morna Nielsen, Mignon du Preez, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Jensen

 

WBBL|02: Morna Nielsen, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Hazell

 

WBBL|03: Mignon du Preez, Georgia Elwiss, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin

 

WBBL|04: Mignon du Preez, Georgia Elwiss, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin

 

WBBL|05: Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin

 

WBBL|06: Mignon du Preez, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rosemary Mair

 

WBBL|07: Maia Bouchier, Kim Garth, Linsey Smith

 

WBBL|08: Alice Capsey, Bess Heath, Jemimah Rodrigues, Lauren Winfield-Hill

 

WBBL|09: Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley

 

WBBL|10: Marizanne Kapp

 

The players (sorted by matches played)

Mignon du Preez (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|01 & WBBL|03 - WBBL|07

 

M 64 | Runs 1498 | HS 88 | Ave 26.75 | SR 111.71

One of the stalwarts of the WBBL started her career at the Stars and still sits second for all-time most runs for the club behind Meg Lanning. The top-order batter became synonymous with the Stars in the early years. In WBBL|01 du Preez and Lanning set the club record for the biggest partnership with a 156-run stand. She was the anchor of the Stars batting line-up and had a top score of 88 but was unable to help the side to an elusive first title.

Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

Seasons: WBBL|03 - WBBL|05

 

M 40 | Runs 1100 | HS 103* | Ave 29.73 | SR 125.57

The Stars were Lizelle Lee's first ever WBBL club and where her cult figure status amongst the competition began. On debut she made an immediate impact scoring 64 off 36 balls. She scored two centuries during her time at the Stars, her unbeaten 103 from 65 balls against the Scorchers and 102 not out off 56 against the Sixers remain as two of the most impressive innings in Stars history. In 40 games she amassed 1100 runs for the Stars, was the club's leading run scorer for every season she played. A whopping 69 per cent of her runs came from boundaries. 

Alice Capsey (England)

Seasons: WBBL|08 - WBBL|09

 

M 28 | Runs 542 | HS 80* | Ave 22.58 | SR 115.57

 

Wkts 17 | BBI 3-37 | Econ 7.40 | Ave 29.18

One of the most exciting young players from England, Alice Capsey signed with the Stars as an 18-year-old ahead of WBBL|08. She played several key knocks in that first season including a new career high of 80 not out to help the Stars to a four-wicket win over the Hurricanes. Alongside her powerful batting displays she also impressed with her spin bowling taking nine wickets in WBBL|08. It was enough for the Stars to use pick No.4 on Capsey the following season where she again impressed with 283 runs and eight wickets. The Stars will have retention rights over the young gun in this year's draft.

Maia Bouchier (England)

Seasons: WBBL|07 & WBBL|09

 

M 26 | Runs 401 | HS 48 | Ave 18.23 | SR 104.70

Maia Bouchier joined the Stars in WBBL|07 shortly after making her T20I debut for England and in that season showed how consistent she can be with bat in hand. The middle-order batter finished with 185 runs for the season and a high score of 42 against the Hurricanes. She was recalled to the Stars for WBBL|09, selected at pick 13 in the inaugural WBBL Draft, and she didn't let selectors down with an improved output of 216 runs for her second stint in green.

Morna Nielsen (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|01 - WBBL|02

 

M 24 | Wkts 24 | BBI 3-12 | Econ 5.80 | Ave 18.46

The New Zealand bowler was one of the inaugural international signings for the WBBL, playing the opening two seasons with the Stars. Nielsen had her best output during her first season at the club finishing with 18 wickets, earning her a place in the Team of the Tournament. She picked up wickets in every game of WBBL|01 including hauls of three wickets on four occasions, with her best figures of 3-12 coming against the Hurricanes. She wasn't able to reach the same heights the next summer, with her best performance coming against the Heat as she took 3-19.

Georgia Elwiss (England)

Seasons: WBBL|03 - WBBL|04

 

M 22 | Runs 313 | HS 59* | Ave 19.56 | SR 94.56

 

Wkts 10 | BBI 2-10 | Econ 7.77 | Ave 54.80

English allrounder Georgia Elwiss joined the Stars ahead of WBBL|03 and in her first season had her best output with the bat scoring 184 runs across 10 appearances. Her high score of 59 not out was in the first Melbourne Derby where she found the boundary five times to help the Stars to victory. Elwiss was also called on to use her right-arm fast bowling at the Stars where she took 10 wickets across her two seasons with seven of those coming in WBBL|03.

Hayley Jensen (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|01 - WBBL|02 

 

M 17 | Wkts 10 | BB 3-25 | Econ 6.03 | Ave 21.60

A fast bowler from New Zealand, Hayley Jensen appeared in WBBL|01 and WBBL|02 for the Stars. She took 10 wickets across 17 games for the club with her best bowling of 3-25 coming against the Renegades. After WBBL|01 Jensen received her Australian residency so was no longer considered an international player, but she continued with the club for another season. 

Lauren Winfield-Hill (England)

Season: WBBL|08

 

M 14 | Runs 254 | HS 74 | Ave 23.09 | SR 105.39

The Stars were Lauren Winfield-Hill's fourth WBBL club, having previously represented the Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers in the competition. It was a fruitful season for the opening batter in WBBL|08 scoring 74 on debut and going on to score 254 runs across her 14 appearances. 

Sophia Dunkley (England)

Season: WBBL|09

 

M 14 | Runs 217 | HS 73 | Ave 15.50 | SR 110.71

Sophia Dunkley came to the Stars last summer via the league's direct nomination pathway after the WBBL international player draft. Despite struggling in her first few outings for the Stars as an opening batter, she found her form later in the season with 124 runs from her last three innings. Dunkley was also called on as a bowling option in three games, her leg-spin yielding three wickets from six overs. Another the club holds retention rights for at this year's draft. 

Katey Martin (New Zealand)

Seasons: WBBL|03 - WBBL|05

 

M 13 | Runs 108 | HS 31 | Ave 10.80 | SR 87.80

New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin enjoyed a short stint at the Stars across three seasons of the WBBL. In her first two seasons she had just four appearances due to a clash with the New Zealand domestic T20 competition. But when the WBBL shifted to a standalone window in WBBL|05 Martin got an uninterrupted run of games. Her presence was felt behind the stumps with a couple of stumpings and catches and it was during this season she hit her high score of 31 off 25 balls against the Sydney Sixers. The Stars were Martin's only WBBL club and WBBL|05 was her last appearance in the competition before retiring in 2022 and going on to forge a new career as a commentator.

Kim Garth (Ireland)

Season: WBBL|07

 

M 12 | Runs 164 | HS 44 | Ave 13.67 | SR 100.61

 

Wkts 15 | BBI 3-11 | Econ 6.24 | Ave 18.73

Now a key part of the Australia set-up, Dublin-born Kim Garth started her career in the WBBL as an Irish international appearing for the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers before joining the Stars in 2021. She played 12 games for Stars as an international player before she was granted permanent residency and became a local player for the club. In those 12 games Garth's skills as an allrounder were on display finishing WBBL|07 with 15 wickets and 164 runs. She went on to sign a three-year deal that ties her to the club until the end of WBBL|10.

Linsey Smith (England)

Season: WBBL|07

 

M 11 | Wkts 6 | BBI 2-19 | Econ 5.81 | Ave 35.17

Linsey Smith's first season in the WBBL came in 2021 where the left-armer signed with the Stars. The left-arm orthodox spinner was one of the most economical for the Stars that season as she picked up six wickets in her 11 games.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt (England)

Season: WBBL|06

 

M 11 | Wkts 8 | BBI 3-17 | Econ 6.37 | Ave 32.63

After a two-year hiatus from the WBBL Katherine Sciver-Brunt returned to the competition for the Melbourne Stars for the 2020 season impacted by Covid-19 and played in a bubble in Sydney. Known for her time at the Perth Scorchers in the early seasons of the competition, the fiery fast bowler showed her skill in her 11 games at the Stars. Brunt's experience helped the Stars achieve their most successful season to date as the side reached the WBBL Final. She finished with eight wickets, best figures of 3-17 against the Hurricanes and she also pitched in with the bat with some crucial innings for the Stars, including an unbeaten 22 to top score in the final. 

Jemimah Rodrigues (India)

Season: WBBL|08 

 

M 7 | Runs 44 | HS 15 | Ave 8.80 | SR 84.62

Jemimah Rodrigues was the first Indian player to play for the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL after signing with the club for the 2022 season. Having previously plyaed for the Renegades, their decision to hunt for an international bowling option ahead saw opening batter Rodrigues happily head across town to the Stars. Rodrigues played half the season but was unable to reach the heights of her WBBL debut season at the Renegades.

Bess Heath (England)

Season: WBBL|08 

 

M 7 | Runs 128 | HS 37 | Ave 21.33 | SR 102.4

Bess Heath signed for Melbourne Stars for the opening matches of WBBL|08 as an international replacement player for Jemimah Rodrigues.

Danielle Hazell (England)

Season: WBBL|02

 

M 6 | Wkts 9 | BBI 3-17 | Econ 5.45 | Ave 14.44

Danielle Hazell had an impactful cameo for the Melbourne Stars in WBBL|02 taking nine wickets in six games for the club. The right-arm spinner played in the first half of the season making her mark by taking multiple wickets in four of her six appearances. Her best figures came against the Sydney Sixers where she claimed 3-17, including the prized wicket of Alyssa Healy.

Rosemary Mair (New Zealand)

Season: WBBL|06

 

M 2 | Wkts 3 | BBI 3-30 | Econ 7.5 | Ave 10

Rosemary Mair has perhaps the strangest history of any WBBL import. She was brought into the WBBL|06 Sydney hub as a spare replacement player, able to be signed by any club as required (given bringing replacement players in from outside the hub was near impossible due to the Covid restrictions). She debuted for the Stars, went and played a bunch of games for the Renegades, then returned to the Stars for a second time. All while lodging with the Scorchers on their floor of the hotel. Bizaare!