WBBL07: The remarkable comeback of Sydney Sixers’ bowler Lauren Cheatle
At the age of 22, being told you have cancer is a phone call you never expect. Lauren Cheatle shares her story and remarkable road to recovery.
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Lauren Cheatle was walking along the Sydney foreshore in June when she received the shock cancer diagnosis that would change her life.
The Sydney Sixers bowler, and one of the youngest cricketers to represent Australia, had spotted a some concerning changes in the skin on her left shin a fortnight prior, but at the age of just 22, this was the last news she expected to hear.
“I’d picked something up two weeks before my diagnosis and I’d noticed something changing in my leg, some darker spots and a bit of lump on my shin under where my socks pull up,” she says.
“In my gut I knew something just really didn’t feel right.”
Specialist appointments confirmed her worst fears.
“They called my phone on a Friday afternoon when I was out on a walk,” she recalls.
“I was a bit taken aback, it was a surprise, it’s not a call you’re ever expecting, but especially not at 22.”
A week later and Cheatle was booked in for surgery, and had the cancer in her shin removed along with lymph nodes in her groin in case the cancer had spread past her leg. Fortunately it’s hadn’t.
“We were really lucky that we found it early enough that we could treat it with the one operation,” she says.
But what she now faced was an uncharted battle for recovery.
Drawing on a well of resilience built over years of fighting multiple injuries that have peppered her playing career, Cheatle astounded doctors and coaches – but probably not those who know her best – by returning to the cricket pitch in October, less than five months after diagnosis.
Remarkable, considering she’s played six games of a possible 11 matches to date.
Remarkable, that with her diagnosis, came a warning from doctors that she’d likely not bowl a ball in the Sixers’ 2021 campaign.
Now she’s emerged as their most destructive weapon with the ball.
“I’m actually really proud of what I’ve been able to do,” she says.
“To think that at one point, this comp was out of the picture altogether, with massive support from all of Cricket NSW, I knew our staff would do anything to get me back on the park.”
Not her first challenge
In 2015, Cheatle stunned the cricketing world when, at 15, she became the youngest player selected for the NSW Breakers squad.
In 2016, she debuted for Australia against India in a Twenty-20 game in January and then headed to India the following month as part of the Aussies' T20 World Cup campaign.
But from here, her story became one defined by injury setbacks.
The left-arm pace bowler underwent a right shoulder reconstruction in 2017, a left shoulder reconstruction in 2019 and in 2020 underwent a bicep operation in 2020.
She has also battled stress fractures in her back, and was laid low with chronic fatigue in her late teens.
Over a two-year period, Cheatle played just one game of cricket, but came into 2021 confident that she’d stay injury-free after rebuilding her body with intense physio and strength and conditioning.
Then came June’s skin cancer diagnosis.
And Cheatle was, once again, faced with a tough battle to play the game she loves.
Cheatle grew up in Bowral, in country NSW, in the same town where cricket legend Don Bradman was born, with cricket in her blood, with her father, Giles, having played for Sussex and Surrey in the UK.
Cheatle’s childhood memories are of competitive and spirited cricket matches played in her backyard alongside brother, Oliver.
“I love cricket,” Cheatle, who is also a disability support carer, says.
“It’s a sport where you can never be perfect, but you can always try and there’s always ways to get better and I absolutely love that.
“It’s my dream job, so to be able to play cricket for my state is something I’m really proud of and something I love doing.”
But she’s had to fight to play the sport, against what seemed sometimes insurmountable challenges.
The slow recovery
Following her operation, Cheatle spent the month of June off her feet.
“I didn’t leave my house for the first week, I was a bit upset and just wanted to be on my own,” she says, also unable to see her family given the Covid lockdowns in place at the time.
She was only allowed light walking for the entire month of July, but attended trainings when she could, sitting at the end of the nets and watching the NSW bowlers with renewed intent.
In August she slowly began jogging.
Then, came September, and she shocked her medical team at Cricket NSW with her decision to raise money for childhood cancer charity Camp Quality, by walking 200km for the month.
“Our strength and conditioning coaches collectively pulled their hair out when I was doing that,” she says.
“It certainly wasn’t a part of their return-to-play on-feet stuff, but it aligned with what I could do and I was able to get 10km a day in.”
She raised more than $3000.
Cheatle says the support of her family in Bowral – even though Covid border closures have separated them for close to six months – has been vital in her recovery, along with the unwavering support of her NSW teammates, including housemates Hannah Darlington and Anika Learoyd.
On October 24 she made her remarkable return to the top-level of the game, playing a WBBL match in Tasmania against Melbourne Renegades.
From her six games so far, she’s become the Sixers’ leading wicket-taker including best figures of 3/15. Her economy so far of 4.40 sits only behind Melbourne Renegades’ Georgia Wareham (3.71) but she only played the opening two games before injuring her knee.
If there’s one thing Cheatle’s thankful for, it’s the yearly skin checks provided through the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
“My cancer was in a spot that’s hidden from the sun,” she says.
“I’ve always been someone who’s really cautious in the sun and it was under where your socks would be.
“I don’t go to the beach, I don’t hang out in the sun, I wear long socks, so I feel like I was doing everything right; it was just one of those things that happened.
“I’m going to have more regular check-ups now, three months then six months for the next five years until I’m, a bit more in the clear.
“In the end, I was super lucky we got it when we did.”
Six and out: Why WBBL’s great force is no more
- Tim Michell
The fear factor is gone.
Rivals are no longer intimidated by the once mighty Sixers and the big guns Alyssa Healy, Ash Gardner and Ellyse Perry are misfiring.
The WBBL’s once dominant force has been a shadow of its former self and is destined to miss finals for the third consecutive summer.
Tellingly, Aussie opener Healy has failed to ignite the Sixers with her trademark power, Gardner has registered three consecutive ducks and Perry’s strike rate has suffered as she tries to salvage innings after innings.
It is a far cry from the franchise which set the benchmark for the WBBL in the first four tournaments, lifting the trophy in WBBL02 and WBBL03 and twice finishing runner-up.
We analyse why the Sixers have gone from almost unbeatable to unbackable.
THE BIG THREE
Have rival teams worked out how to strangle the much-vaunted trio of Healy, Gardner and Perry?
That trio combined for 1277 runs in WBBL02, 1320 runs in WBBL03, 1559 runs in WBBL04 (of which Perry made 777) and 1127 runs in WBBL05.
Their combined tally dropped to 885 runs last summer and sits at 721 with two games left in WBBL07.
One of the factors which made the Sixers so lethal was Gardiner and Healy’s ability to take the game away from opposition sides in a matter of overs.
Healy’s strike rate has been at least 136.7 since WBBL03, but has dropped to 121.6 this season.
Gardner has had a tough time in the past two WBBL campaigns, only managing 93 runs last season (from 69 balls faced) and 197 runs at a strike rate of 106.5 in WBBL07.
That is well below her international strike rate of 129.4 from 49 T20 matches.
Perry struck 777 runs at a strike rate of 121 three seasons ago, but has found it much tougher this season, striking at a career WBBL low of 90.4 runs per 100 balls.
She has also only bowled 19 overs in 11 games.
The long-time star of Aussie cricket has only 17 wickets in 33 games since the start of WBBL05.
THE GAME WHERE IT ALL TURNED
For much of the first four seasons of the WBBL, there was no more daunting task than facing the Sixers.
This was a side which powered to the WBBL03 title with five overs and nine wickets to spare, such was its supremacy.
Their regular season in WBBL04 was one of the best on record, finishing the campaign at 10-4.
But the mindset of their rivals seemingly shifted in that finals series as the Sixers were almost eliminated in a semi-final for the first time by the Renegades.
It took a miraculous boundary save from Erin Burns and freakish run out from Healy to send the semi to a super over, which the Sixers were never going to lose.
But the nailbiter showed the WBBL superpower could be conquered and Brisbane Heat pulled off a three-wicket win in the decider.
Since that game, the Sixers’ record stands at 17 wins, 20 losses and no finals appearances.
Renegades needed three to win off the final ball.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 19, 2019
The save from Erin Burns and the throw from Alyssa Healy is next level. Super Over!#WBBL04 | @CommBankpic.twitter.com/elciOXDW9G
IMPACT OF IMPORTS
There’s no questioning the growth of international women’s cricket has made the Big Bash League stronger.
Just look at this year’s rosters.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa, Strikers), Poonam Yadav (India, Heat), Eve Jones (England, Renegades), Kim Garth (Ireland, Stars) and Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka, Scorchers) are featuring in this year’s tournament, emphasising the depth of talent from around the world. What it means for teams like the Sixers is every other franchise has access to matchwinners from around the world, something which wasn’t as apparent in the early years of the WBBL.
COME IN SPINNER
It is no secret that teams which have excelled in the WBBL in recent seasons have done so on the back of a quality wicket-taking spinner.
Samantha Bates took 18 wickets in 16 games for WBBL06 champions Sydney Thunder, conceding less than six runs an over.
Slow bowlers Amelia Kerr, Jess Jonassen, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Sarah Glenn were one back with 17 wickets, while Alana King collected 16.
This season, Jonassen (17 wickets), Lilly Mills (16), Wellington (15), Molly Strano (13) and Harmanpreet Kaur (13) are among the leading wicket-takers, with Radah Yadav (8 wickets in 11 matches) and Gardner (7) the Sixers’ most-prolific slow bowlers.
It’s no shock Jonassen, Mills, Wellington and Kaur all play for finals-bound franchises.
WASTED POWER PLAYS
Despite boasting the power of Healy and Gardner at the top and the steady influence of Perry, the Sixers have lost at least two wickets in the opening six overs in seven of their 10 completed matches (discounting the 11-over game against the Stars).
The only fixture where their openers lasted the full power play was against the Scorchers when they were 0-42 after six overs.
The tricky batting pitch in Mackay has no doubt had some influence on recent power play efforts of 3-22 and 3-23, but the regular early loss of wickets has hurt the Sixers.
It means rather than consolidating on a positive start, middle-order players such as veteran Nicole Bolton have been left with a salvage job to restore the innings and forced to bat conservatively to avoid further loss of wickets.
Contrast that with the Scorchers, who are among the title favourites due the dominance of openers Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine.
That pair has been unconquered five times this season after six overs and helped ensure Perth only lost two wickets or more in power plays in three of its opening 11 fixtures.
STARS CROSSING TO RIVAL FRANCHISES
The last time the Sixers played finals in WBBL04, South Africans Marizanne Kapp (20) and Dane van Niekerk (19) combined for 39 wickets.
That pair were mainstays of the Sixers team and snared a further 47 wickets in the next two seasons.
This summer, Kapp and van Niekerk are playing for the Scorchers and Strikers — two finals-bound teams — respectively.
Kapp has 11 wickets including a haul of 4-10 for the Scorchers, while van Niekerk has contributed 262 runs and four wickets for Adelaide Strikers.
While their impact has not been as profound at their new clubs as it was for the Sixers, imports Radha Yadav and Shafali Verma have not had the same influence as Kapp and van Niekerk were able to in magenta.
WBBL REPORT CARD: WHO ARE PLAYER OF SEASON CONTENDERS?
WBBL REPORT CARD: WHO ARE PLAYER OF SEASON CONTENDERS?
Liz Walsh
Melbourne Renegades have become the first team to qualify for WBBL finals, but what advantage they get for their season-leading performance remains a mystery.
The Renegades secured their passage into the finals even though their last match against Melbourne Stars was abandoned without a ball being bowled thanks to Adelaide’s inclement weather, a factor which looks likely to wreak even more havoc on the WBBL this weekend.
But if the Renegades – who are also camped up in Mackay for the remainder of the minor rounds – finish top, the question is, given the Covid situation in Melbourne, where do they play their finals?
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The best speculation at the moment is: Adelaide Oval.
As the regular season comes to a thrilling finale with six games this weekend to sort out of the top four, speculation is also continuing into who is leading the race for the Player of the Series accolade.
For mine, the frontrunner there right now is Perth Scorchers opener-wicketkeeper Beth Mooney.
Heading into the final games of the minor rounds, she’s the only player to have scored more than 400 runs (419 before she unleashed against the Strikers in Adelaide), with her highest score an unbeaten 101 and an average of 63 and striker rate over 133.
She’s also been handy with the gloves, too, with five dismissals to her name (four catches and one stumping).
The Heat’s Georgia Redmayne sitting top the keeping stats, with 15 dismissals.
Scorchers teammate Sophie Devine is again among the leading runscorers for the series with 323 at an average of 35.88, just behind Grace Harris at the Heat who 341 runs.
Heat skipper Jess Jonassen is another strong contender, she’s the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets, which is a fine effort considering she missed the entire India international series due to injury.
Best off-field moment
Aside from Ellyse Perry posting vision of herself skateboarding through Adelaide, the award goes to Sydney Thunder’s wicketkeeper Tahlia Wilson who was able to spend her day off last week hitting some hockey balls at the SA State Hockey centre.
A talented hockey player as she grew up in NSW, Wilson had to choose between cricket and hockey when she was given a NSW Breakers contract in 2017 and cricket won out, with a contract also coming for the WBBL.
But the 22-year-old said she still loved hockey, even if she was no longer able to play it competitively.
“Hockey’s been in my family all my life and growing up around my hockey family, it made it really tough to not be able to play anymore, but it came down to opportunity with NSW on the cricket front, and get paid to do it. There wasn’t a better opportunity and I didn’t want to miss that,” she said.
Wilson enjoyed a hockey hitout with SA state cricketer Emma de Broughe (who also plays hockey for SA).
“It was a lot of fun (to play again), and really helped me get my mind off cricket, it’s been quite a busy time period, so it was nice to switch off,” she said.
Biggest turnaround
Easy this week - Adelaide Strikers turning around a four-game losing streak into a four-game winning streak.
They lost badly to the Melbourne Stars by 37 runs on November 6 but then secured wins over the Sydney Thunder, Sydney Sixers, Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat to keep up the hunt for finals.
Strikers captain Tahlia McGrath said staying positive off-field thanks to a fun culture within the side had been crucial to turning their season around.
“We went through a rough patch, but if you take out the Stars game we were still playing really good cricket and that’s what we tried to focus on, it was that five per cent and you just need a bit of luck, a bit of momentum, and roll on from there,” she said.
“The last four games have been unreal and it’s pretty much been set up by our bowlers. Everyone knows their role and is contributing to the team, it’s just a really fun team to be a part of at the moment.
“We just enjoy each other’s company, it’s started from the top with (coaches) Luke Williams, Lottie Edwards and Jude Coleman, they create a really fun environment.
“We love training together, we love playing together, we love celebrating each other’s success and we’ve had the core group together for such a long time and the people we’re adding to the group only add to that culture.”
Best player revival
Sydney Thunder’s Issy Wong finally showed the WBBL what she’s capable of, as her side stunningly beat cross-town rivals, the Sixers, in the Sydney Smash.
Wong bowled exceptionally at the start of the innings, picking up the crucial wicket of Alyssa Healy and then bowled Ashleigh Gardner for a first-ball duck. She ended with figures of 2-27 and took home the Player of the Match accolades.
Biggest congratulations
Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen became the first player to notch up 100 WBBL games last weekend when her side took on the Strikers (and went down by eight wickets after a dismal first-innings batting collapse).
Adelaide might have ruined Jonassen’s celebrations but the milestone is significant. Jonassen, sits second overall in tournament history for most-wickets taken (109), behind Hobart Hurricanes Molly Strano (117), 16th overall for most-runs scored with 1689 to her name.
A host of players are in hot pursuit of their 100th-game milestone, too. Beth Mooney has achieved it with Wednesday’s Faith Thomas Trophy clash against the Strikers, with Sydney Sixers’ Alyssa Healy (98) and Nicole Bolton (97), Strikers’ Amanda-Jade Wellington (97) and Bridget Patterson (97), Scorchers’ Heather Graham (97) and Sydney Thunder’s Lauren Smith (99) all potentials for hitting the 100-mark in the next games, too.
Originally published as WBBL07: The remarkable comeback of Sydney Sixers’ bowler Lauren Cheatl
Originally published as WBBL07: The remarkable comeback of Sydney Sixers’ bowler Lauren Cheatle
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