Opinion
In WBBL06, the Sydney Thunder played the almost perfect game at the right time of the tournament defeating the Melbourne Stars to win the title. However, in WBBL07 the team dropped to seventh on the ladder.
Rachael Haynes has been a star for both the Thunder and Australia. She has scored 1919 runs for the Thunder. Haynes played 84 T20Is for Australia, scoring 850 runs, 77 ODIs, scoring 2585 runs and played six Tests.
Haynes is a welcome returnee for the Thunder after missing last season, putting her family first after the birth of her son Hugo and also being impacted by border closures. This is her farewell tour, after she recently announced her retirement.
A great recruit by the Thunder in WBBL06 was Sammy-Jo Johnson. Johnson had previously won two championships with Brisbane Heat. She was the leading wicket-taker for WBBL06 in the Thunder’s title-winning season with 22 wickets. Johnson has captured a total of 85 WBBL wickets.
Twenty-year-old Hannah Darlington is one of the rising stars of the Thunder. She has taken 51 wickets in 40 matches. Unfortunately, Darlington will miss the first half of the season with a knee injury.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Nineteen-year-old young gun Phoebe Litchfield has already played 38 WBBL matches and scored 623 runs. Tahlia Wilson has also played 38 WBBL matches and has scored 345 runs. Litchfield and Wilson both recently scored centuries for the NSW Breakers.
Left-arm orthodox bowler Sam Bates is another long-term consistent performer for the Thunder, taking 83 wickets in 88 matches at an average of 22.20 and an economy rate of 6.09.
After six seasons with the Hurricanes, Corinne Hall returned to NSW and the Thunder for WBBL07. Hall, who was Hobart’s captain, has played 91 WBBL matches, notching up 1045 runs.
England top order batter Tammy Beaumont returns to the Thunder after missing WBBL07. Beaumont, was a member of the Thunder’s WBBL06 title winning squad, scoring 209 runs in WBBL06. Beaumont has played 99 T20Is (1721 runs) and 100 ODIs (3425 runs).
The Thunder have added hard-hitting South African Chloe Tryon to the team. Tryon has previously played for the Hobart Hurricanes. She has scored 871 runs in 77 T20Is with a strike rate of 139.13, and 1652 runs in 97 ODIs.
Another English player, Amy Jones, will also play for the Thunder. Jones has previously played with the Sydney Sixers and the Perth Scorchers. Wicket-keeper Jones has scored 1,24 runs in 76 T20Is and 1461 runs in 73 ODIs.
New Zealand pace bowler Lea Tahuhu has been signed as an international replacement player. Tahuhu has captured 53 wickets in 61 WBBL games with the Melbourne Renegades. Tahuhu has 56 wickets in 68 T20Is and 94 wickets in 84 ODIs.
These players will replace the Thunder’s three imports from last season Issy Wong, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma. Kate Peterson has also joined local rivals the Sydney Sixers.
Fast bowler Belinda Vakarewa returns to the Thunder after several seasons with the Hobart Hurricanes. Vakarewa, who will be a great replacement for Issy Wong, has taken 56 wickets in 76 WBBL games.
The Thunder recruited off-spinner Lauren Smith from crosstown rival the Sydney Sixers before WBBL06. Smith has taken 52 WBBL wickets in 102 matches.
Twenty-year-old Anika Learoyd was signed to a two-year deal prior to WBBL06 after scoring 541 runs in the 2019-20 NSW Women’s Premier Cricket competition. Learoyd has played 13 WBBL matches.
Teenage pace bowler Jessica Davidson and fast bowling all-rounder Olivia Porter will be hoping to make their WBBL debuts. The Thunder have also signed former player Saskia Horley as a local replacement player.
With the return of Haynes, Beaumont and Vakarewa as well as the recruitment of Tryon, Jones and Tahuhu, the Thunder should return to contention for the finals.
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