Cricket 2022: Latest signings and contract news from the WBBL
Batter Mikayla Hinkley will continue to develop her role as a finisher with Brisbane Heat after signing a new deal. Check out who has been locked in for next season.
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Heat batter Mikayla Hinkley has locked in her time in Brisbane another two seasons as she looks to build upon a breakthrough domestic cricket season.
Hinkley was Queensland Fire’s player of the year and is looking forward to making an even bigger impact for her adopted state when the WBBL season starts on October 13.
Born and raised in Penrith, the 24-year-old has improved steadily since relocating to Queensland under coach Ashley Noffke in 2019.
“Mik brings passion to everything she does,’’ Noffke said.
“She’s a strong role model off the field for her people and her culture and on the field, she never lets up when it comes to backing her teammates.
“We’re really pleased with how her batting is flourishing and the way she has embraced her role as a finisher. She keeps challenging herself to improve and get better and plays with confidence because of that drive.”
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Darlington returns in huge boost for Thunder
-Ben Horne
Hannah Darlington has revealed her cricketing future after her shock call to withdraw from Australia’s World Cup campaign earlier this year for mental health reasons.
The rising Australian star has signed a three-year extension at the Sydney Thunder and declared her decision to take an extended break from the game last season “the best of my career.”
Meanwhile, cross-town rivals the Sydney Sixers have re-signed experienced representative star Erin Burns for a further two seasons, as the WBBL recruitment period gains speed.
Burns missed the last WBBL season when Covid protocols prevented her joining the Sixers after missing the start of the campaign to be by her wife’s side for the birth of their son, Jack.
Intrigue surrounds the prospects of Australian greats Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes, who are yet to ink new deals with their respective clubs Sixers and Thunder.
With 100 days to go until WBBL08 all clubs are preparing to drop big name player announcements this week, with the Renegades on Monday confirming big-hitting Indian star Harmanpreet Kaur would return after winning player of the tournament honours in 2021.
Fast bowler Darlington was thrust into the hot seat as a teenager to captain Sydney Thunder and NSW last summer and is one of the most exciting prodigies in the country having also debuted for Australia against India during the season.
Darlington was set to be a part of what proved to be a victorious ODI World Cup campaign for Australia in New Zealand as a reserve player, but decided to withdraw to look after her mental health and wellbeing after a trying WBBL on the road in travelling hubs.
The 20-year-old has no regrets and is back at pre-season training feeling she’s made a major breakthrough in setting up her future.
“It was a big summer and looking back it was one that had a lot of ups and downs,” Darlington told News Corp.
“Obviously it was awesome to make my Australian debut and that was a dream-come-true moment … but obviously the season did build up and continue on and taking the break away from the game at the back end of the year was probably the best decision I’ve made, to make sure my career going forward, I am in the best head space.
“It was a decision I made in the Ashes, and to leave the group and see them go on to win the World Cup was a hard moment, but also knowing the group and how much they deserved to win that World Cup was pretty special to watch. I knew the decision was best for me and I had all the support I could have wanted to now be able to come back first day of pre-season and get started.”
Darlington, born and raised in western Sydney and a proud member of the Kamilaroi people, said the security of a long-term deal with the Thunder meant the world as she strives to stay a one-club player for the duration of her career.
“It was one year deals or a two-year deal previously, so it’s nice to have that deal in place,” she said. “It’s a club I’m really passionate about and I want to spend my whole career here and this is the start of that.”
Burns, 34, is equally buoyed about her extension at the Sixers after the disappointment of being forced out of an entire season due to the extraordinary constraints of the Covid bubble.
This summer, she hopes to take wife Hannah and son Jack on the road with the team.
“I think we’ve got a magenta onesie already lined up for him. But the rate he’s growing at the moment, he’ll probably be grown out of it in a weeks’ time,” said Burns.
“He was born in January, so my wife was pregnant at the time (of the WBBL season starting) and … we had learned that due to the outbreak in NSW and Victoria that the competition was shifted down to Tassie and then they’d see how we’d go from there.
“It was definitely another big shock, but due to the pandemic, things had to be shifted to accommodate those changes which is totally understandable.
“We thought I’d be able to get into the competition later on, but as happened with the border closures, the goal posts changed and it wasn’t to be the case.
“I feel really, really primed to go and have a good season with the Sixers. For me, the Big Bash is always the highlight of the cricket calendar, and I’m super keen this year to sink my teeth in.”
Free agents, contract list revealed as WBBL heats up
World Cup heroes Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes headline the WBBL free agents list as Indian superstar Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed her return to Australia this season to lead the Melbourne Renegades.
As WBBL signing season begins to click into gear, reigning WBBL player of the tournament Kaur confirmed her new deal at the Gades in what could be the first of many big-name international stars headed to Australia this year after Cricket Australia locked in a WBBL window that would enable the world’s best the chance to play in the tournament.
Australia is hopeful the best women’s players in world cricket will head down under after The Hundred series in the UK, which immediately follows the T20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Most of Australia’s top players are already locked into existing WBBL deals, although ODI Haynes (Sydney Thunder) and Perry (Sydney Sixers) are yet to be officially re-signed by their clubs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Georgia Redmayne has re-signed with the Brisbane Heat, but World Cup teammate Grace Harris remains a free agent for the time being.
Confirmation of Kaur’s return is set to spark a busy week of player movement.
The India captain and destructive middle order batter was the Renegades leading runscorer and wicket-taker last year, scoring 406 runs at an average of 58 with her 18 sixes the most in the WBBL.
The dynamic right-hander scored 406 runs at an average of 58 – including 18 sixes, the most in the competition – and claimed 15 wickets with her off-spin.
“I’m excited to be coming back to the Renegades,” Harmanpreet Kaur said.
“I really enjoyed being part of the team environment last season and feel like that helped me produce some of my best cricket. Personally, I just wanted to play my role for the team and it was pleasing to be able to do that.
“We supported each other as a team last year and were able to get some good results, but we still have plenty of room to improve. Hopefully we can do that, make the finals again and put ourselves in a position to compete for the title.”
Full list of contracted WBBL08 players
Adelaide Strikers: Darcie Brown, Tahlia McGrath, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tegan McPharlin, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna
Brisbane Heat: Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Nicola Hancock, Ellie Johnston, Charli Knott, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll, Mikayla Hinkley
Hobart Hurricanes: Nicola Carey, Elyse Villani, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Amy Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman
Melbourne Renegades: Harmanpreet Kaur, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, Josie Dooley, Ellen Falconer, Carly Leeson, Rhiann O’Donnell, Courtney Webb
Melbourne Stars: Meg Lanning, Annabel Sutherland, Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Lilly Mills, Chloe Piparo
Sydney Sixers: Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jade Allen, Nicole Bolton, Maitlan Brown,
Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle
Sydney Thunder: Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Jessica Davidson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Olivia Porter, Tahlia Wilson
Confirmed player movements from WBBL07 to WBBL08:
Tayla Vlaeminck (Hobart Hurricanes to Melbourne Renegades)
Elyse Villani (Melbourne Stars to Hobart Hurricanes)
Heather Graham (Perth Scorchers to Hobart Hurricanes)
Players from WBBL07 yet to sign new contracts
Adelaide Strikers: Katie Mack, Laura Wolvaardt, Sarah Coyte, Jemma Barsby, Dane van Niekerk, Nell Bryson-Smith, Annie O’Neil, Meagan Dixon, Ella Wilson, Tess Cooper
Brisbane Heat: Grace Harris, Laura Kimmince, Georgia Prestwidge, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Zoe Cooke, Poonam Yadav
Hobart Hurricanes: Rachel Priest, Chloe Rafferty, Naomi Stalenberg, Belinda Vakarewa, Mignon du Preez, Sasha Moloney, Angelina Genford, Richa Ghosh, Ava Curtis
Melbourne Renegades: Makinley Blows, Jess Duffin, Holly Ferling, Ella Hayward, Poppy Gardner, Eve Jones, Jemimah Rodrigues
Melbourne Stars: Erin Osborne, Anna Lanning, Georgia Gall, Maia Bouchier, Linsey Smith, Maddy Darke
Perth Scorchers: Chamari Athapaththu, Samantha Betts, Marizanne Kapp, Taneale Peschel, Ash Day, Amy Edgar, Lisa Griffith
Sydney Sixers: Ellyse Perry, Emma Hughes, Angela Reakes, Hayler Silver-Holmes, Matilda Lugg, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma
Sydney Thunder: Rachael Haynes, Corinne Hall, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Kate Peterson, Lauren Smith, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Issy Wong
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