After being wooden-spooners for 2018-19 WNCL season, Scorpions add more bite to their tale with three new players signed for next season

After finishing bottom in the 2018-19 WNCL season, SACA today unveils the Scorpions squad it hopes will catapult the team to new found success. There are three new faces.

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After finishing the 2018-19 Women’s National Cricket League season as wooden spooners, the SA Scorpions have delisted four players and will today unveil a new-look list aimed at bringing the team back into competitive form.

Gone are bowlers Kelly Armstrong, Katelyn Pope and Brooke Harris along with all-rounder Sarah Lowe, and three new players — all locals, including 16-year-old fast bowler Darcie Brown — have been awarded state contracts.

Scorpions new head coach Luke Williams said he was pleased with the squad that has been assembled for the 2019-20 season.

“I’d expect us to be really competitive straight away and although there’s been some change in our list, we certainly think that the girls who have come onto contract (are) capable of playing this season,” he said. “We are probably just looking for more consistency.

“We showed at times last year that our cricket can compete with any side … it’s just a matter of doing it for longer periods of games.”

Alongside teenage quick Brown, two Sturt first grade cricketers Stacey Oates and Emma de Broughe have been signed to the “Scorps”. Medium-pacer Oates was the leading Premier Cricket wicket-taker (including finals) in the 2018-19 season with 22 scalps at 11.77, while middle-order batter and part time medium-pace bowler, de Broughe vice-captained SA at the U/18 National Cricket Championships in February.

Scorpions players Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Megan Schutt, Amanda Wellington (standing) Tabatha Saville and Tegan McPharlin. Picture: Sarah Reed

Kapunda-raised Brown, a Yr 11 student, recently returned from New Zealand after being selected for the Australian U/19 side. The right-arm quick has been clocked at speeds of up to 116km/h, making her one of the fastest female bowlers in the state.

The Scorpions have lost one player to their overall list because legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington lost her Cricket Australia contract last month. Bowler Megan Schutt is now the only South Australian with a CA contract and she retains the Scorpion captaincy.

While missing out on CA contracts, Wellington and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath have been added to the Women’s National performance squad.

Williams said despite the disappointing 2018-19 season, there were positive signs for the side, including maiden WNCL centuries to McGrath and Bridget Patterson.

“We’ll be looking at those girls and others to continue to improve,” he said.

2019-20 SA SCORPIONS CONTRACT LIST

Megan Schutt (c) — CA contract

Tegan McPharlin

Bridget Patterson

Tahlia McGrath

Eliza Doddridge

Shae Daly

Tabatha Saville

Alex Price

Sam Betts

Annie O’Neil

Amanda-Jade Wellington

Stacey Oates (new)

Darcie Brown (new)

Emma De Broughe (new)

Ellie Falconer

Delisted: Kelly Armstrong, Sarah Lowe, Katelyn Pope, Brooke Harris