Women's Big Bash League 2024: Decoding the tournament in numbers
The Melbourne Renegades have won their maiden Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) title, defeating the Brisbane Heat by seven runs (DLS method) in the final. The summit clash was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 1. The Renegades's victory is especially noteworthy as they had finished at the bottom of the 2023 season, making a stunning comeback. This is also the second successive final defeat for the Brisbane Heat.
Matthews's performance leads Renegades to victory
In the rain-affected final, the Renegades were asked to bat first and posted a total of 141/9 in their 20 overs. This was mainly due to Hayley Matthews's stunning knock of 69 off 61 balls. Georgia Wareham (21 off 21 balls) and Naomi Stalenberg (16 off 12 balls) also played key roles in the team's total. For Brisbane Heat, Charli Knott was the pick of the bowlers with three for 28 in four overs.
Renegades restrict Heat to secure title
The second innings was reduced to 12 overs as rain played spoilsport, with a revised target of 98 for the Heat. Despite a valiant effort by captain Jess Jonassen who scored an unbeaten 44 off 28 balls, the Renegades managed to restrict their opponents to just 90/6. Matthews shone again in this innings, leading the wicket-takers with figures of two for 24.
Who scored the most runs?
The BKT Golden Bat Award was given to Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers), who scored 424 runs in 10 matches at 53.00. Perth Scorchers' Lizelle Lee (399) and Hobart Hurricanes' Beth Mooney (386) were the others to accumulate 350-plus runs in the season. Perry's average was the highest among batters with at least 220 runs. Lizelle Lee (155.86) had the best strike rate in this regard.
Lee also registered these records
Lee scripted history with a stunning 150* off 75 balls against Perth Scorchers in Sydney. The Proteas star, with this phenomenal knock, recorded the highest individual score in WBBL history. She smoked 12 sixes during her stay, the most by a batter in a WBBL innings. In the succeeding match, she scored a brilliant 103 off just 59 balls against the Adelaide Strikers. With this, Lee became the first-ever player to score back-to-back WBBL centuries.
Here are the other batting records
Lee was the only centurion in this season as she also smoked the most sixes (18). Perry (4), meanwhile, scored the most fifties. The record for the most fours scored in the season also belongs to Perry (59).
Who took the most wickets?
Alana King (Perth Scorchers) and Samantha Bates (Sydney Thunder) finished as the joint-highest wicket-takers in the season, scalping 20 wickets each. Their economy rates read 7.06 and 6.35 respectively. Meanwhile, Brisbane Heats' Lucy Hamilton (5/8 vs Melbourne Stars), King (5/16 vs Brisbane Heat), and Melbourne Renegades' Alice Capsey (5/25 vs Perth Scorchers) were the bowlers with fifers in the season.
Here are the other bowling stats
Hamilton's economy rate of 5 was the best among bowlers who bowled at least four overs in the season. Hobart's Amy Smith (5.24) holds the second place on this list. Meanwhile, Hamilton also had the best bowling average (9.58) among bowlers who took at least 10 wickets.
Here are the fielding records
Brisbane's Georgia Redmayne (13) was the only wicket-keeper to effect more than 10 dismissals. Sydney Sixers' Sophie Ecclestone, Hobart's Chloe Tryon, Renegades' Sarah Coyte, Thunder's Shabnim Ismail, and Thunder's Litchfield took eight catches apiece as a fielder, the joint-most in the season.
Here are the team records
Sydney Thunder scored an impressive 212/5 in their allotted overs against Adelaide Strikers to record the highest total in WBBL 10. Hurricanes' Lee and Nicola Carey own the highest partnership in the season (133 vs Strikers). Thunder's 97/10 against Scorchers was the lowest all-out total. Scorchers recorded the biggest win in terms of runs, 74 vs Thunder. Hurricanes' 72-run triumph over Scorchers holds the second place.
