With less than a week until the start of the very first stand-alone WBBL competition, Strikers captain Suzie Bates says the team is raring to go

As the Women’s Big Bash competition goes into a stand-alone format, Adelaide Strikers captain Suzie Bates applauds the decision to offer cricket lovers even more cricket.

Adelaide Strikers captain Suzie Bates at the Adelaide Oval crease during the 2018/19 WBBL season. Picture SARAH REED

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With less than a week until the start of the historic Women’s Big Bash League season, the Adelaide Strikers captain Suzie Bates says the team is “ready to play”, hunting its first WBBL championship.

The Strikers open their campaign with a double header against Melbourne Renegades at Karen Rolton Oval on Saturday, and Bates praised Cricket Australia’s decision to turn the fifth season of the WBBL into a stand-alone event.

“It’s going to be huge,” she said. “There’s a window here for people to watch cricket and when they turn on their televisions and see how strong the Women’s Big Bash is, it will really take off. People are ready for some cricket, and we’re ready to play.”

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Strikers captain Suzie Bates bats during the trial game between Adelaide and the ICC Women's Global Development Squad in Melbourne on October 10. Picture: DARRIAN TRAYNOR/GETTY IMAGES

Bates will again open the batting with her Kiwi counterpart Sophie Devine as the Adelaide Strikers hunt their first WBBL title. Picture: AAP IMAGE/DAVID MARIUZ

It’s fair to say it will be a new-look team that heads onto KRO on Saturday, with West Indian import Stafanie Taylor joining the squad, alongside ACT Meteors batter Katie Mack, with new coach Luke Williams at the helm.

But much remains the same, including the opening batting combination of Bates and her Kiwi teammate Sophie Devine, lovingly referred to by teammates as the “Smash Sisters”.

“We like opening the batting, she makes my job easy and we know each other so well, so it’s always nice to have her down the other end,” she said.

And she welcomed the mentorship of Williams, who took over the head coach position when Andrea McCauley stepped down at the end of last season.

“Luke works really hard and likes a few jokes, so it’s always good fun with him around,” he said. “And he’s very organised … everything runs like clockwork, which I like and he just knows a lot about the women’s game.”

* Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades, Saturday, October 19, Karen Rolton Oval, 2pm, entry is free