Cricket

The tenth season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is set to commence on Sunday, October 16, with a triple-header featuring reigning champions Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat. The tournament has been reduced to 40 games plus finals to align with the BBL and accommodate the growing women's cricket calendar.Each club will play 10 regular season games, down from 14 last season. The top four teams will qualify for the finals, which will follow a three-game format. The team finishing top will host the final on December 1.The WBBL has introduced several new features this season. A third umpire will be available in every game, and there will be an increase in matches with full DRS. An innings timer will also be in operation, with 73 minutes available to bowl the first ball of the 20th over.Several key players will be on display in the WBBL, including Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Amelia Kerr, and Deandra Dottin. Litchfield, the youngest full-time captain in WBBL history, will lead Sydney Thunder. Sutherland, who captained Melbourne Stars, is a rising star in Australian cricket. Kerr, the Player-of-the-World Cup, has joined Sydney Sixers from Brisbane Heat. Dottin, who had a brilliant T20 World Cup, will play for Melbourne Renegades.The WBBL is expected to be a competitive and exciting tournament, with several teams vying for the title. Adelaide Strikers will be aiming for a hat-trick of titles, while Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers, and Melbourne Stars will be among the other contenders.

Phoebe Litchfield, the rising star of Australian cricket, has been appointed as the captain of Sydney Thunder for the upcoming Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) season. At just 21 years old, Litchfield becomes the youngest full-time captain in WBBL history.Litchfield's appointment comes after the departure of England captain Heather Knight, who led Thunder last season but will miss the latter stages of this year's competition due to injury. Litchfield has been a key player for Thunder since making her debut at the age of 16, scoring over 1200 runs in 67 matches.In the past season, Litchfield has shown significant improvement in her batting, increasing her strike rate and scoring 309 runs at an impressive 130.37. Her maturity and leadership qualities have also been evident, making her a natural choice for the captaincy role.Thunder general manager Trent Copeland praised Litchfield's appointment, saying, "She's young, but her experience in the game makes this a natural progression. Phoebe has always been mature beyond her years, and her leadership qualities have been evident from the moment she joined Thunder."Litchfield will have the support of an experienced squad, including Chamari Athapaththu, Hannah Darlington, Shabnim Ismail, and Sammy-Jo Johnson, as well as coach Lisa Keightley. Thunder will begin their WBBL campaign against Hobart Hurricanes on October 28.

Australia's Women's T20 World Cup title defense has been met with a potential setback as batter Phoebe Litchfield has been ruled out of the warm-up matches due to groin soreness. The news emerged ahead of Australia's first warm-up against England in Dubai on September 29.Adding to the injury concerns, Grace Harris, who has been sidelined since April 2024 due to calf strains in both legs, is also not yet ready to return to the field due to a "new niggle." However, she has resumed training.Cricket Australia (CA) stated that an update on the availability of both players for the World Cup proper will be provided in the coming days. Australia will play a second warm-up match against West Indies on October 1 before opening their tournament against Sri Lanka on October 5.India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the other teams in Australia's Group A. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18, with the final scheduled for October 20.Litchfield's absence from the warm-up games is a blow to Australia's preparations, as she has been a key member of the team in recent years. She was part of the squad that won the 2020 T20 World Cup and has scored over 1,000 runs in T20Is.Harris's return to fitness would be a significant boost for Australia, as she is a powerful hitter and a reliable fielder. Her experience and leadership would also be invaluable to the team.Australia will be hoping that both Litchfield and Harris can recover in time for the World Cup, as they aim to defend their title and claim their sixth T20 World Cup crown.

Australia's women's cricket team secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over New Zealand in Mackay, despite a pre-game injury scare involving Ashleigh Gardner. Gardner collided with teammate Georgia Wareham during warm-ups, resulting in her withdrawal as a precaution due to her history of concussions.Heather Graham replaced Gardner in the lineup, while Kim Garth and Grace Harris were ruled out of the series due to injuries. New Zealand also suffered a setback with skipper Sophie Devine sidelined by a foot issue.Australia's bowlers shared the spoils, with all six used claiming a wicket. Maddy Green and Suzie Bates passed 30 for New Zealand, but couldn't accelerate the innings. Australia's fielding was rusty, conceding 12 byes, but their bowling was frugal.In the chase, Phoebe Litchfield played a stunning unbeaten knock of 64 from 43 balls, guiding Australia to victory with eight balls to spare. She received excellent support from Wareham in a 50-run stand.Litchfield's innings showcased her skill and bravery, as she hit 11 boundaries on a two-paced surface. She reached her half-century in 32 balls and finished the match with a reverse sweep for four.Australia's variety in their bowling attack proved effective, with Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, and Sophie Molineux making scoring difficult for New Zealand in the powerplay.Molly Penfold impressed for New Zealand with 2 for 24, but couldn't prevent Australia from securing the win. The victory extended New Zealand's losing streak in women's T20Is to eight matches.

Three-time defending women's T20 World Cup champions Australia are gearing up for the upcoming tournament in the UAE with a warm-up series against New Zealand starting on Thursday in Mackay. The Aussies have had a lengthy break between international assignments, having not played since March and April.Despite the break, Australia's squad has been active in other competitions. Several players participated in the women's Hundred in the UK, while Tahlia McGrath played in the Australia A limited-overs series against India A.Australia is one of the few teams that hasn't played international cricket in recent months. Pakistan and South Africa have squared off, while England and Ireland have also locked horns. New Zealand, on the other hand, had a lengthy tour of England in June and July.Phoebe Litchfield, who played in the Hundred for the Northern Superchargers, believes the defending champions shouldn't be too rusty. However, she acknowledges the need for heat acclimation before the trip to the UAE."It's going to be hot. Not too dissimilar to Bangladesh," Litchfield said. "So our preparation continues the same, and we're probably going to do some heat acclimation over the next sort of week and a half to get ready."Litchfield expressed disappointment over the tournament being moved from Bangladesh due to security reasons. However, she believes Dubai offers a suitable alternative.Litchfield, who has not played in a World Cup, is unsure of her starting position in the upcoming series and the tournament. She expects to bat in the middle order if she plays.Both Australia and New Zealand arrived in Mackay on Monday. The first two matches of the series will be played on Thursday and Sunday before the teams move to Brisbane for the final game next Tuesday. Both squads will then fly straight to the UAE next Wednesday.