Predicted finish: 1st — still the team to beat, just not by as much
For most of the WBBL’s first decade, the Hurricanes were the competition’s hard-luck story. Last December that changed. They topped the table with seven wins, then dismantled the Scorchers by eight wickets in front of a big home crowd at Ninja Stadium to claim their first title. Defending it will be harder. Nat Sciver-Brunt isn’t coming back, Elyse Villani has retired, and the captaincy is still an open question. But the local core is locked in through WBBL|13 and the opening pair that powered last summer is intact. I have them finishing on top again and hosting the final, with the Sixers the side most likely to knock them off.
The squad
The Hurricanes have 14 of their 15 list spots filled heading into Thursday’s opener, with one place still open.
Head coach: Jude Coleman
Captain: To be confirmed (Heather Graham led the side at the Spring Challenge)
| Batters | All-rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Lizelle Lee | Nicola Carey | Molly Strano |
| Danni Wyatt-Hodge (ENG) | Heather Graham | Linsey Smith (ENG) |
| Rachel Trenaman | Chinelle Henry (WI) | Hayley Silver-Holmes |
| Ruth Johnston | Ella Hayward | Amy Smith |
| Lauren Smith | ||
| Callie Wilson |
Ins: Chinelle Henry (West Indies, from Heat), Ella Hayward (from Stars)
Outs: Nat Sciver-Brunt (unavailable for WBBL|12), Elyse Villani (retired), plus Kathryn Bryce and Isa Malgioglio (not re-signed)
Sciver-Brunt is the loss everyone will talk about. The England captain was the marquee piece of last year’s title run, but a calf-hampered English summer convinced her to sit this one out. Henry, prised away from the Heat, is the replacement overseas player. She won’t match Sciver-Brunt run for run, but she brings genuine hitting power (an unbeaten 35 off 15 balls in this year’s WPL final) and useful seam overs.
Hayward is the clever local pick-up. The 23-year-old Jawoyn off-spinning all-rounder debuted for the Renegades at 17, played at the inaugural Under-19 World Cup and has since worn the Australia A shirt. She has moved to Tasmania for the WNCL too, and Coleman has her on a two-year deal.
Villani’s exit is harder to measure. She played all 11 WBBL seasons and signed off holding the trophy. Her successor as captain had not been publicly confirmed at the time of writing, which is an unusual storyline four days out from a title defence.
Analysis
Strengths
It starts at the top. Wyatt-Hodge was the club’s leading run-scorer last season with 432 runs at 48 and a strike rate of 144, third-best in the league. Lee made 305 at the competition’s best strike rate, then finished the final with an unbeaten 77 off 44 balls. When both fire, the Hurricanes chase anything: they hauled in 181 against the Thunder in round one last year, the biggest chase in club history.
Continuity is the other weapon. Strano, Carey, Graham, Silver-Holmes, Trenaman and Lee all re-signed for two seasons, and Coleman has deliberately kept the internationals consistent. Wyatt-Hodge is back for a third season, Linsey Smith for a second.
The attack has options everywhere. Graham was the leading wicket-taker last season with 16 at 18.4, Silver-Holmes removed Healy, Gardner and Kerr in one spell against the Sixers, and the spin stocks run five deep: Linsey Smith (2-8 in the final), Strano, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith and now Hayward.
Weaknesses
Sciver-Brunt was the safety net when the openers failed. Without her, the middle order leans heavily on Carey, Graham, Trenaman and Henry, and that group will be tested by quality new-ball attacks.
The core is ageing. Lee is 34, Strano and Carey 33. Lee and Lauren Smith both sat out the Spring Challenge managing low-grade injuries, while young quick Callie Wilson was also unavailable.
And there’s the target on their back. Every side lifts against the champions, and this group must do it with a new leader and six of their ten games away from Hobart.
Milestones to watch
- Heather Graham sits on 149 WBBL matches. If she plays Thursday, she brings up 150 in the season opener. She is also three wickets short of 160.
- Nicola Carey has 147 matches and 147 wickets. Three more of each brings up a rare 150-game, 150-wicket double.
- Molly Strano is three wickets away from 175 in the competition.
- Lizelle Lee needs 230 runs to reach 3,000. She made 305 last summer.
The draw
Ten regular-season matches: four at home (all at Ninja Stadium) and six away, including a neutral-venue clash with the Scorchers in Brisbane. Times are AEDT as listed in the club’s fixture release. Check before match day.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 29 Oct | Melbourne Stars (away) | Junction Oval | 7:10pm |
| Sun 1 Nov | Sydney Sixers (away) | Drummoyne Oval | 7:10pm |
| Wed 4 Nov | Melbourne Renegades (home) | Ninja Stadium | 7:10pm |
| Sat 7 Nov | Brisbane Heat (away) | Allan Border Field | 7:10pm |
| Tue 10 Nov | Adelaide Strikers (home) | Ninja Stadium | 7:10pm |
| Sat 14 Nov | Brisbane Heat (home) | Ninja Stadium | 3:40pm |
| Thu 19 Nov | Perth Scorchers (neutral) | Allan Border Field | 3:40pm |
| Sat 21 Nov | Sydney Thunder (home) | Ninja Stadium | 12:00pm |
| Fri 27 Nov | Perth Scorchers (away) | WACA Ground | 9:10pm |
| Sun 29 Nov | Adelaide Strikers (away) | Karen Rolton Oval | 3:30pm |
The defence starts on the road, under lights at Junction Oval against the Stars, then at Drummoyne against the Sixers three nights later. Coming home with two wins would set the tone.
The middle stretch is where the Hurricanes should bank their points. Three home games in eleven days, starting with the Renegades on 4 November, their first match at Ninja Stadium since lifting the trophy. Tickets are $15 and kids go free, so Tasmanian fans have no excuse not to fill the hill.
The run home is brutal. A Friday night final rematch with the Scorchers at the WACA that doesn’t start until 9:10pm eastern time, then a dash across to Adelaide for a Sunday afternoon game against the Strikers. If top spot and a home final are on the line, the champions will have to earn them a long way from Bellerive.
Leave a Reply