Stars strengthen spin stocks ahead of WBBL|10

Melbourne Stars have added more bowling depth to their squad ahead of Weber WBBL|10 signing Sasha Moloney for another year and luring Maisy Gibson from the Hurricanes.

Gibson, who remains contracted to Tasmania in the WNCL where she has been part of the state’s three-peat, signed with the Stars after spending the last five WBBL seasons playing for the Hurricanes

With 70 wickets from 74 games in the WBBL, Gibson’s leg-spin will be a valuable asset to the Stars’ bowling line-up for the upcoming season. 

Gibson said the chance to run out on to the MCG and combine with Moloney and last season’s leading wicket-taker Sophie Day in the Stars’ spin attack was what drew her to the club.

"To get the chance to play at the MCG this summer is going to be an amazing experience in such a big year for the league, this being the tenth edition," said Gibson.

"Hopefully I can build a great partnership with Sophie and Sasha and we can all offer something different with the ball”

Moloney played alongside Gibson in Tasmania’s WNCL three-peat before taking up a state contract with Victoria earlier this year.

Now the spinners will be reunited at the Stars, where their finals experience will be a bonus for the club’s hopes of making finals for just the second time in their WBBL history.

Moloney joined the Stars ahead of WBBL|08 and has taken 20 wickets and provided valuable runs in the lower order during her two seasons to date in green.

Stars squad (so far) for WBBL|10: Yastika Bhatia (India), Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Meg Lanning, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Deepti Sharma (India), Annabel Sutherland

 

Ins: Deepti Sharma, Marizanne Kapp (Thunder), Yastika Bhatia, Maisy Gibson (Hurricanes) 

 

Outs: Nicole Faltum, Milly Illingworth, Alice Capsey (all Renegades), Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier

 

WBBL|10 Draft selections: Deepti Sharma (India), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Yastika Bhatia (India)

 

Local players off contract: Tess Flintoff, Olivia Henry, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Jas Nevins

In the milestone 10th season of the WBBL the two spinners will be looking to replicate the success they’ve enjoyed in the 50-over format at the Stars.

"I'm rapt to be back and I'm also looking forward to Maisy, coming across and hopefully she can help us push towards finals in WBBL|10," said Moloney.

"She adds a lot of experience having played for a number of years and I think she can have an immediate impact."

The Stars also added more bowling depth to their list through the International player draft picking up Indian allrounder Deepti Sharma and South African Marizanne Kapp who was a pre-signing selection for the club.

Meg Lanning and Annabel Sutherland headline the local talent available for the Stars in WBBL|10 with keeper-batter Sophie Reid and bowler Kim Garth also on board for the upcoming season.

Attracting experience and star power to the club in the off-season will have the club hopeful it can bounce back from a disappointing WBBL|09 and break through for its first championship.

That journey will begin with a clash against the Perth Scorchers over in the west on October 27.