The stakes are clearly enormous as the 10th edition of the WBBL draws to a close at the MCG on Sunday.
Both teams have history, but for very different reasons. Melbourne Renegades have struggled for most of their tournament history. Aside from fellow underdogs Hobart Hurricanes, Renegades were the only team to not reach the finals and finished with the wooden spoon last season.
However, they have become the success story of this year’s competition after pulling off a stunning comeback to top the standings and reach the home final. Their off-season recruitment efforts have paid dividends and skipper Sophie Molineux is leading the way, having been rewarded with an outstanding all-round season after being appointed captain of the BBL team of the tournament.
After reaching the final, Renegades have taken an extended break, having not played since November 23. They will face a confident Brisbane Heat side who are looking dazed at their first WBBL title but have set up the final by nine wickets. They bombarded the Sydney Thunder at Allan Border Field on Friday.
The Heat have been in prolific form in the second half of the season as they look to make up for last season’s heartbreak when they fell short to Adelaide Strikers in a thrilling grand final.
Competition powerhouses Heat, who have qualified for the finals series for the seventh time in a row, are aiming to become the first team to win three titles after back-to-back wins in WBBL 04-05.
The Heat, aided by captain Jess Jonassen, have weathered the offseason departures of several key players admirably along with a coaching shakeup to advance to their fourth Finals appearance in the past seven seasons.
This mouth-watering final form, with its compelling storyline and rivalry between two hot teams, is a fitting way to conclude a shortened WBBL season that has broken several attendance and broadcast records. It will also be the first stand-alone WBBL final to be held at the iconic MCG.
Form Instructions
(5 most recently completed matches; most recent first)
Melbourne Renegades WWWWW
Brisbane Heat WWWWW
Spotlight – Deandra Dottin, Grace Harris
Some eyebrows were raised when choosing Renegades. Diandra Dotin With the third pick of this season’s draft. Although she had not played a professional game in almost a year by that point, Dottin fit into the Renegades’ plans to be more aggressive and unravel the conservative approach that had weighed them down for so long. Considering her extremely aggressive ways, Dottin’s assertiveness rubbed off on her teammates, although she didn’t always come off as one. Her strike rate of 151 is the sixth highest in the competition and she took nine wickets with pace bowling.
Appears in all 10 seasons, grace harris He was one of the best players of the WBBL’s first decade. Even after all these years, she’s still the Heat’s ultimate winner when she’s at the top of the rankings. Harris has scored the most runs for the Heat this season, but her strike rate of 134.46 is well below her incredible T20I record of 153.86. Harris has had a great start to the season, but has struggled recently, scoring three single-digit runs in four innings. However, Harris will enjoy the big stage and will be more motivated as he has been overlooked in the Australian ODI squad against India.
Team News – Rodriguez’s injury concerns
There are concerns about the fitness of India star Jemima Rodriguez, who had to retire injured in the Challenger final after 10 overs of Heat’s chase. She aggravated a left wrist injury suffered earlier on the field while attempting to stay alert in the Thunder’s innings. But Heat coach Mark Sorrell said the initial evaluation by the team’s medical staff was “very positive.” If she does not recover in time, the door could be opened for talented 19-year-old all-rounder Sianna Ginger, who has played in six WBBL matches this season. However, since he has batted number 8 before, if Rodriguez is eliminated, the batting order will need to be reorganized.
The Renegades are well-rested and are likely to feature an unchanged XI from their previous match against the Thunder.
Melbourne Renegades (probably): Courtney Webb, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux (c), Deandra Dottin, Georgia Wareham, Naomi Stalenberg, Nicole Faltum (wk), Grace Scrivens, Georgia Prestwidge, Sarah Coyte, Milly Illingworth.
pitch and conditions
Melbourne, a city known for its unpredictable weather, had seen heavy rain beforehand and further showers were expected on Sunday. Conditions could be favorable for bowling and the wide boundaries of the ground could make this a low-scoring final.
Statistics and Trivia
The Heat have won 11 of their 18 games overall against the Renegades, including a 28-point win Oct. 30 at Allan Border Field.
The Renegades won their only game at the MCG this season, beating crosstown rivals Stars by nine points on November 15.
Renegades hitters Molineux, Dottin and Rhys McKenna are in the top six for highest strikeout rates this season.
quotes
“We’ve been a pretty successful team for a long time. We’ve been to the Big Bash final and the WNCL final, so it’s not an unfamiliar challenge for us.” Heat Wicket-Keeper Batsman Georgia Redmayne
