Predicted finish: 6th — a box-office group of allrounders, but too many questions with the bat and the new ball to crack the four
Two summers ago the Renegades were champions. Last summer they slipped to fifth, finishing five and five and a point outside the four after Sophie Devine’s 40 and 4-25 at the WACA knocked them out of the top four in the final week. Twelve months on there is a new coach in Australia assistant Gavan Twining, a rebuilt top order, and a strong chance this is the club’s last season under the Renegades name. I have them sixth: good enough to beat anyone on their day, not consistent enough to finish in the four.
The squad
The Renegades have 14 of their 15 list spots filled heading into Thursday’s opener, with the final spot to be confirmed after the T20 Spring Challenge. Naomi Stalenberg was the uncontracted name from last season and has since crossed to the Stars.
Head coach: Gavan Twining
Captain: Sophie Molineux
| Batters | All-rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Courtney Webb | Sophie Molineux (c) | Tayla Vlaeminck |
| Nicole Faltum (wk) | Georgia Wareham | Milly Illingworth |
| Sophie Reid (wk) | Hayley Matthews (WI) | Sara Kennedy |
| Annie Wikman | Deandra Dottin (WI) | |
| Olivia Porter | Chloe Tryon (SA) | |
| Tess Flintoff |
Ins: Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Sophie Reid (from Stars), Annie Wikman, Olivia Porter
Outs: Alice Capsey (to Sixers), Sarah Coyte (to Sixers), Emma de Broughe (to Strikers), Naomi Stalenberg (to Stars), Charis Bekker, Davina Perrin (England), Issy Wong (England)
Capsey is the loss that hurts. She was second at the club for both runs (170) and wickets (13) last season, and the Sixers have taken her.
The best signing, though, is a returning one. Hayley Matthews missed all of WBBL|11 after shoulder surgery. In the WBBL|10 title season she made 324 runs and took 14 wickets, then won player of the match in the final at the MCG with 69 and 2-24. Having her back is like adding two players.
Tryon is the third overseas player and her fourth WBBL club. Her last season, for the Hurricanes in 2024, was poor: 83 runs and four wickets in nine games. A year before that, for the Sixers, she hit 277 runs at a strike rate of 131. Twining is betting on the Sixers version.
The locals are interesting. Reid crosses town with 30 WBBL games behind her and gives the club a second keeper. ACT Meteors pair Wikman and Porter arrive off strong WNCL seasons. Wikman made 540 runs, fifth in the competition, including an unbeaten 142 against Victoria. Porter is the hitter of the two, and she made an unbeaten 57 against the Renegades in last year’s Spring Challenge.
Analysis
Strengths
No team has more quality allrounders. Molineux, Wareham, Matthews, Dottin and Tryon are all international players who bat and bowl, and Tess Flintoff gives them a sixth. That depth means the Renegades can bat deep and still have bowling options to spare.
The spin is the best in the competition. Wareham was the club’s best player last season, leading both lists with 277 runs and 19 wickets. Against the Thunder at Drummoyne, the spinners bowled the home side out for 64, the third-lowest total in WBBL history. Add Matthews’ off-spin and Tryon’s left-armers, and Twining has more slow-bowling options than overs to give them.
Molineux and Wareham also arrive as world champions after winning the T20 World Cup in England, with Molineux leading Australia in her first tournament as captain. Australia’s next commitment is in Sri Lanka in December, so both should be available for the whole season.
Weaknesses
The top order. Last season the Renegades waited all summer for a big individual score, and Molineux said so publicly midway through. Capsey and Perrin are gone. Webb is the only established opener, and Wikman and Porter have to show their WNCL form translates to the Big Bash. Matthews at the top helps, but a lot rests on her.
The pace attack is a gamble. Tayla Vlaeminck has re-signed, but injuries have kept her out of the past four WBBL seasons, and her last game for the Renegades was in December 2018. Illingworth took nine wickets last season. Beyond her and Sara Kennedy, the seam overs fall to Dottin and Flintoff. If Vlaeminck breaks down again, the new ball looks thin.
There is also a short lead-in for the coach. Twining finished his Australia duties before joining the group, with Clint McKay running the Spring Challenge campaign.
Milestones to watch
- Sophie Molineux has 97 WBBL wickets, all for the Renegades. Three more makes 100. She also extends her club games record every time she plays (112 so far).
- Georgia Wareham has played 99 WBBL matches. Her first game of the season will be her 100th, making her the second Renegade to the mark after Molineux. Both have been at the club since WBBL|01.
- Tayla Vlaeminck is in line for her first Renegades game in almost eight years.
- Hayley Matthews returns after missing last season with a shoulder injury.
The draw
Ten regular-season matches: five at home and five away. Six of the ten are at Junction Oval, because the Stars also host their derby there. Times are AEDT as listed in the fixture release. Check before match day.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 29 Oct | Sydney Thunder (home) | Junction Oval | 3:40pm |
| Sat 31 Oct | Perth Scorchers (away) | WACA Ground | 7:10pm |
| Wed 4 Nov | Hobart Hurricanes (away) | Ninja Stadium | 7:10pm |
| Sat 7 Nov | Adelaide Strikers (home) | Junction Oval | 3:40pm |
| Thu 12 Nov | Sydney Sixers (home) | Junction Oval | 7:10pm |
| Sun 15 Nov | Sydney Sixers (away) | North Sydney Oval | 11:00am |
| Fri 20 Nov | Adelaide Strikers (away) | Adelaide Oval | 7:10pm |
| Sun 22 Nov | Melbourne Stars (away) | Junction Oval | 7:10pm |
| Wed 25 Nov | Brisbane Heat (home) | Junction Oval | 7:10pm |
| Sat 28 Nov | Melbourne Stars (home) | Junction Oval | 3:40pm |
The Renegades open the season, and the first week is tough. After the Thunder at home, they fly to Perth for a night game against the Scorchers less than 48 hours later, then go to Hobart to face the defending champions. One win from those three would be a fair return.
The middle of the season brings back-to-back games against the Sixers, now with Capsey and Coyte, in four days. The second is an 11am start at North Sydney Oval. Then comes the Strikers’ only game of the season at Adelaide Oval, on a Friday night.
The run home is where the Renegades can make up ground. Their last three games are all at Junction Oval: the away derby, a Wednesday night against the Heat, who were winless last season, then the home derby. If the Renegades are close going into the final week, they won’t have to leave Melbourne. With a merged Melbourne club reportedly on the way, the derby on 28 November might be the last time the Renegades play the Stars.
