A few names you would expect were absent as the team of the year was announced for the WBBL.
The best opening pair in the history of the WBBL headlined a team of the year which signalled the emergence of a new generation and showed the impact of some Indian superstars.
There was no Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy or Ellyse Perry in a line-up topped off by the world’s number one T20 batter, Beth Mooney and the second part of the Perth Scorchers dynamic duo, Sophie Devine who was named captain.
It’s the third successive season the pair have been named at the top of the All-Star order, first in different teams and for the last two seasons teammates, combining this year for an amazing 935 runs as the Scorchers finished top of the table.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur flew the flag for a host of Indian imports who could have made the team as she helped the Melbourne Renegades emerge as potential WBBL champions.
The Sydney Thunder’s 19-year-old captain, Hannah Darlington, amazingly made a second successive team of the tournament as the emerging fast bowler continues to make her mark on the game.
Darlington was unable to lead her team back to the finals after being thrown into the captaincy when Australian vice-captain was unavailable, but still managed 16 wickets, second only to Brisbane Heat skipper Jess Jonassen’s 21, who continued to show why she’s one of the best T20 bowlers in world cricket.
The side includes six members of Australia‘s most recent international squad with Tahlia McGrath taking her stunning international form in to the WBBL while Tayla Vlaeminck also showed her abundant talent again.
The Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat were the most represented team with three players, while the Melbourne Renegades and Scorchers had two.
The Melbourne Stars were the only team not represented.
WBBL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers, captain, international)
Beth Mooney (Perth Scorchers)
Georgia Redmayne (Brisbane Heat, wicket-keeper)
Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades, international)
Grace Harris (Brisbane Heat)
Tahlia McGrath (Adelaide Strikers)
Jess Jonassen (Brisbane Heat)
Amanda-Jade Wellington (Adelaide Strikers)
Hannah Darlington (Sydney Thunder)
Tayla Vlaeminck (Hobart Hurricanes)
Darcie Brown (Adelaide Strikers)
Coach: Simon Helmot (Melbourne Renegades)
Originally published as WBBL: Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine named openers for third straight season in Team of the Year
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