WBBL: Sydney Thunder’s Phoebe Litchfield has entered the bubble
Phoebe Litchfield has finally entered the WBBL bubble and she’s itching to hit Sydney Thunder’s first boundary of the season.
Phoebe Litchfield has finally entered the WBBL bubble and she’s itching to hit Sydney Thunder’s first boundary of the season.
The teenage star - who only missed the first week of competition due to school exams - said she is determined to build on her brilliant form this summer.
“When you have a breakout season everyone knows what you do, I’ll be trying to score some runs, have a good season, then back it up with a good WNCL season” Litchfield said.
“Last season was a whirlwind, it was so exciting because it was my first season, to have this as my second season is pretty cool. If it was my first one I’d probably break down, seeing all these people around.”
The 17-year-old from Orange admitted that moving into a hub packed with the world’s best cricketers was overwhelming - but in a good way.
“It’s pretty crazy, you’re walking around, and there’s Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, I’m pretty starstruck,” Litchfield said.
“You’ll get one person out, then you’ll see them at dinner, but we’re all pretty good about it, just happy to be playing cricket.”
So far, Litchfield is loving WBBL hub life.
“I’ll watch every single person’s game. Even when I was studying for my exam, I was like: I need to put my laptop away when the Scorchers and the Heat were playing,” Litchfield said.
“The hub life has brought everyone together, we’re a team first, so you just want to get out there and win.”
Thunder’s Sammy Jo Johnson said that Litchfield’s arrival has cheered up the squad, who are yet to play a full game of cricket due to Sydney’s wet weather.
She’s probably gone to no.1 pest on the list, she brings a lot of energy, enthusiasm and lots of random singing in the hallway,” Johnson said.
“It’s nice for us older girls to have a kid like her in the squad, she just brightens your day.”
Johnson expects this weekend’s clashes against last year’ finalists - the Adelaide Strikers and her former team the Brisbane Heat - to be tough.
But the allrounder is backing Thunder to get the job done.
“Heat’s game plan will be similar to the past, they’ve got some great attacking players, they’ve got a mix of younger players, the experience of Jess Jonassen and internationals in Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green, they’re going to come at us hard,” Johnson said.
“But we can punch back when we need to, put them on the back foot, I think it’s going to be a good match.”
The Daily Telegraph
WBBL Round 2
Saturday, October 31
Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers, 12:15pm, Sydney Showground Stadium
Watch on: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7, ABC
Brisbane Heat v Hobart Hurricanes, 3:40pm, Sydney Showground Stadium
Watch on: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7, ABC
Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars, 7.05pm, Sydney Showground Stadium
Watch on: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7, ABC
Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers, 2:30pm, Drummoyne Oval
Watch on: Kayo, Cricket Network
Sunday, November 1
Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers, 9.30am, Drummoyne Oval
Watch on: Kayo, Cricket Network Sydney
Thunder v Brisbane Heat, 10.20am, Sydney Showground Stadium
Watch on: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7, ABC
Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Sixers, 1.45pm, Sydney Showground Stadium
Watch on: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7, ABC.
Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars, 2.30pm, Drummoyne Oval
Watch on: Kayo, Cricket Network
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