There comes a master stroke from Melbourne Renegades ahead of the WBBL 09. Their star player Hayley Matthews has been appointed as the Captain of the Renegades. The franchise took this decision as their regular captain Sophie Molineux has been sidelined from the team due to a persistent knee injury. Matthews who was acquired by the franchise in the Players draft had valiantly stepped in for Molineux during WBBL 08 when the latter suffered a debilitating ACL tear in November.
The Windies Captain emerged as a leader among a few formidable contenders within the Renegades lineup. Matthews has been selected overlooking other prolific candidates in the face of Harmanpreet Kaur and Welsh Fire’s leader, Tammy Beaumont, competing for the role.
Speaking about Matthews’s appointment as Renegades leader, Coach Simon Helmet said, “Hayley captained our team after Soph got injured last year and did a great job, the girls have great respect for her. To have her, with the experience of Jess Duffin, Harmanpreet Kaur, and our vice-captain Georgia Wareham, it’s a real positive for us. Hayley is really invested in our club, she had a fantastic time last year and she wants to see us become more successful,”
WBBL 09: A Glimpse of Hayley Matthews’s T20 Career
The prolific 25-year-olf batter has been in remarkable form in the T20 format. She has earned the Player of the Match accolade in her previous eight fixtures. Her extraordinary performances included a remarkable 310 runs in three matches against Australia just weeks ago. She scored a massive 132 runs in the second match at North Sydney Oval.
Coming to Matthews T20I performances she has been featured in 7 T20I matches amassing 452 runs at an impressive average of 90.4, striking at a dynamic rate of 138.22. On the bowling front, she secured 15 wickets at a stunning economy of 6.11. The prolific batter who took up West Indies Captaincy in June 2022 will display her career-best performance after taking the reins of leadership with Hayley Matthews.
Speaking about her new role, Matthews said that the leadership role with West Indies has helped her to take up the responsibility with Renegades as well. She has learned & understood the dynamics of the game from playing franchise & T20 cricket around the globe. These appearances in franchise leagues have helped her not only score runs but to score on a consistent basis.
The WBBL 09 will begin on October 19, 2023 while the final fixture will be held on Saturday, December 2. The tournament will consist of 56 league-stage games, concluding on Sunday, November 26 followed by a three-match playoff series. The tournament will kick-start at North Sydney Oval between Sydney Sixers & Melbourne Stars. Eight teams will compete in Women’s Big Bash League 09 with Harmanpreet the only player to play from India. Women’s Big Bash League 09 will begin at North Sydney Oval between the Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars.
Also read, SA vs NED Live Updates: Rain delayed beginning of Play
